1 October 2021 saw the biggest ever increase to energy prices in the UK. Customers are facing average increases of around £150 per year. This could mean more households in debt, more families in fuel poverty and more preventable deaths this winter.
Stay Warm, Stay Safe is a service provided by Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) and Live Well Greenwich, aimed to help Royal Borough of Greenwich residents to heat their homes for the winter. It focuses on residents who may be at risk and people who may be struggling to pay their energy bills.
The service runs from October to March and offers lots of tailored support including help with grant applications and switching energy providers. Examples of support include;
- Energy efficiency assessment
- Impartial advice on keeping fuel bills down
- Advice on benefits from the Welfare Rights service
- Home fire safety visits by the London Fire Brigade may be available
- Advice on keeping active and healthy during the winter months
The scheme is not exclusive and is open to anyone in the Borough in need of support. The following people could benefit from Stay Warm Stay Safe:
- Over 60s
- Those who care for a young or vulnerable person
- People having problems paying winter fuel bills
- Those with mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or a sensory impairment.
- People on a low income
- People living with a long term health condition or disability
A warm home is comfortable, and it can help prevent many health conditions from infectious diseases like colds and flu to more serious conditions like pneumonia and depression. This is especially important for vulnerable groups with pre-existing health conditions such as heart disease, asthma and other long-term diseases.
The people who might be hit hardest by the rise in energy prices are those living in less efficient homes, which are often also people on low incomes.
Heat can easily escape through walls, roofs, floors and ceilings. So sometimes, small fixes go a long way. Keeping heat in and making homes more efficient for winter and beyond is a big priority of Stay Warm Stay Safe.
Stay Warm, Stay Safe aims to help people understand their energy bills, promote healthy living and make sure homes are warm over winter.
If someone you know has concerns about keeping their home warm this winter, or if you’d like support yourself, call us on 0800 470 4831.
Click here to be referred to the South London Stay Warm and Well Network.