A KIND baker has opened a “warm room” for struggling Brits who can’t afford to heat their homes.
Ed Hamilton-Trewhitt, who own Brickyard Bakery in Redcar, Yorkshire, has opened the room to keep local people warm as the cost of living crisis bites and temperatures are set to plummet.
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Ed, 55, says he got the idea after reports of energy poverty and the realisation that the bill for running his bread oven had doubled over the past six months.
The room above the bakery, which is heated only by the large ovens below, was previously empty and the generous business owner realised it could be put to better use.
He felt that if he was going to have to pay so much to run the oven, it may as well be put to good use in supporting both his business and the local community.
Ed came up with the idea to open it up for public use and make it a safe space for those who can’t afford spiralling energy costs to come and keep warm.
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He said: “I got the idea from listening to the news about energy poverty and the problems that people are really sort of facing at the moment.
“It’s costing me £2,000 to just use the bread oven and the opportunity to get a second use out of it might not bring cash into the business, but it can bring some use to people.
“It seemed like a no brainer really because I’ve got a nice, warm space and people are desperate to have a nice, warm space.”
He added that desperate customers had told him that there were considering riding around on the bus all day as it is cheaper than heating their homes.
However, with the warm room Ed says people can sit in a clean and warm space safe in the knowledge they won’t be charged and with plenty of tea and coffee on hand.
This comes as the average annual energy bill jumped from £1,971 to £2,500 on 1 October.
It was set to rise to £3,549 but thanks to the government’s energy price guarantee the cost has been held down.
The scheme limits the unit price of energy so the average household bill remains at £2,500 but does not cap the price, so those who use more than average can expect higher bills.
Other support includes a £400 bill discount over the next six months, a further £150 discount for those on Universal Credit and other benefits and energy grants worth up to £1,500 for those who cannot afford to pay their bills.
Energy prices have shot up amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine as Putin’s Russia has heavily restricted gas supplies to the West.
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Support is also available locally from food banks, ‘warm banks’ and community organisations.
These groups provide a range of assistance from free/cheap food to warm rooms like Ed’s.
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