THOUSANDS of households can access free energy saving gadgets if they’re feeling stuck.
The help is called the Home Energy Saving service, which is available to residents living in Burnham-On-Sea.
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A number of people are struggling to juggle energy costs as the cost of living climbs.
But to help out, Burnham-On-Sea residents are being offered a free home trip from a qualified Home Energy Advisor.
The expert will discuss the best way for the individual household to keep costs down, along with a free gadget they think could help.
These gadgets include:
- new LED lightbulbs
- draught excluders
- radiator reflectors
One resident saved £40 a month by switching to LED lightbulbs, which adds up to a whopping £480 a year.
A pack of five LED lightbulbs cost £7.98 from Screwfix (not including the extra £5 added if you had it delivered).
Draught excluders normally help you save money by keeping the cold air out and hot air in. You slide them underneath your door to make sure no air escapes or filters through.
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Placing draught excluders around windows and doors could save you £45 a year, according to The Energy Saving Trust.
The cheapest we found are from Amazon, costing £3.99, but you’d still need to add £2.99 on for delivery. That means your total is £6.98.
Radiator reflector foil is used to go around your radiator to reflect radiator heat back into the room.
And a 470mm roll of radiator reflector from Screwfix costs £7.99, again only if you buy it from in store rather than getting it delivered.
That would bring the total cost of those items alone to £22.95 altogether.
But if you ordered home, those items would shoot up to £32.95.
There will be other items on offer as well, but it will depend on your individual circumstance.
You’ll also get expert advice on any benefits you could be entitled to alongside any debt or money advice you need.
Who’s eligible?
You need to be living in living in Burnham-On-Sea, Highbridge, Weston-super-Mare, Mark, Winscombe or the surrounding area to be eligible for the support.
The scheme is open to any type of household, including homeowners, private renters, and social housing tenants.
You just need to be struggling financially in any way from affording bills to verging on fuel poverty.
It might be an idea to have a printed bank statement ready or proof of benefits to ensure you get the best help possible.
How do I apply?
You just need to visit the Burnham and Weston Energy website where there is a form to fill in.
You can fill in the sheet for yourself or for someone else, and you’ll hear back most likely via email if you’re eligible.
There is no deadline listed on the website.
What if I don’t live in Burnham-On-Sea?
Don’t worry – your council will have its own individual schemes going to help out struggling residents.
We couldn’t find a similar Home Energy Saving service advertised elsewhere, but there is the Household Support Fund to take advantage of.
It’s a £421million government cash pot dished out to each council in England, and they individually decide who to award it to and in what form.
This could be given as free cash, supermarket vouchers or discount codes.
For example, Plymouth residents can get up to £180 in vouchers to help with food, energy bills, white goods and household furniture.
Households in Luton can get up to £500 in free supermarket vouchers.
Meanwhile, those who live in the district of Harrow Council can apply for £300.
How you apply depends on where you live. In some cases residents are being asked to apply directly on council websites.
But you might be able to call through and apply too.
The best thing to do is get in touch with your local council to see if you’re eligible and how to apply.
If you don’t know what council area you fall under you can use the locator tool found on the Government’s website.
What other energy freebies can I get?
There are plenty of other schemes to apply for if you’re struggling.
Octopus is dishing out free electric blankets this winter to help customers keep warm while bills stay high, for example.
However, there were 10,000 up for grabs in October, when the scheme started, so you’ll need to check whether there are a few left over still.
Blankets will only be available to people who will benefit from them most.
This is likely to include elderly people, or those with specific medical conditions which make them immobile, very unwell, or feel cold.
Customers will be be able to fill in an online form to apply for one.
If you’ve just missed out, keep in mind 5,000 extra customers will be able to get a discount for an electric blanket from Dreamland if they don’t qualify for a free one.
The blankets cost roughly £60 and could save families £300 a year on heating, according to Octopus.
You could also get a brand new boiler installed free of charge from your energy company if you are on a low income, or considered a vulnerable customer.
Some suppliers are offering the freebie, and the eligibility criteria may vary.
British Gas, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, and SSE have versions of the grant for their customers, so it’s worth calling up to check.
Not many providers let you apply online, so you might need to call regardless to get started.
Some councils also give low income households money to put towards making their home greener.
If you meet the right eligibility criteria you will be able to have your home fitted with measures that could save hundreds on your energy bills, all free of charge.
Some councils offer households grants to install solar panels, which can cost around £6,000.
And remember lots of energy companies offer grants to customers who are struggling with bills, including British Gas, EDF and E.On.
It’s worth checking in with your supplier to see what you could be entitled to.
