Nearly 2,600 people who might otherwise have ‘slipped through the net’ of conventional fuel poverty support have been helped by a community-based advice service run by energy experts Severn Wye.
The scheme, which is running in Powys, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, is focusing on rural communities, refugees and asylum seekers, houseboat dwellers and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. The two-year project is funded in Powys Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire by Wales & West Utilities and in Herefordshire by Cadent, as part of the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA) funding programme.
Herefordshire has nearly 5,000 Traveller families and a growing community of people fleeing life-threatening situations in their home countries. For many, the energy supply system can be confusing and difficult to manage, as Severn Wye’s Communities Manager Jacqui Harris explains:
‘’The energy system can feel bewildering, especially for people who have never had to pay for energy before. This can leave people very vulnerable to mounting debts, or lack of supply and the health effects of cold, damp homes.’
Residents of remote rural areas can face particular challenges when it comes to managing and paying for energy, as Severn Wye’s Communities manager Victoria Bancroft explains:
‘Many homes in Powys are off gas, leaving residents with limited choices over how to heat their homes. Coupled with typically older building stock with poor insulation, this makes residents very vulnerable to mounting debts, or lack of supply and the health effects of cold, damp homes.’
The trust that residents already have in partner organisations is proving crucial for linking vulnerable clients with Severn Wye’s services, across many community groups. Jacqui Harris added:
‘We know how difficult it is for anybody feeling vulnerable to ask for help which is why it’s vital that we have trusted partners to refer their clients to us and take that first step for them. By building strong partnerships, we’ve been able to identify and engage with at-risk communities and groups who will really benefit from support but who wouldn’t have been able to reach out to us by themselves. And if there are language barriers, we have several multi-lingual advisers on our team to support clients well.’
It’s a view echoed by Adele Owen, chief executive of Gloucestershire Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS):
‘Imagine being a new refugee with very little money: how do you begin to understand managing your energy use affordably, set up an account or check you’re not paying too much? Frontline colleagues can find it tricky to tell people they need to be careful with money and fuel costs, especially if they have large families to support. Severn Wye advisers bring the extra authority of being experts in this area, and having advisers who speak multiple languages is a massive help to people who are struggling.’
Relationships with other front-line organisations across the region, including local authority Traveller liaison and resettlement officers, the Department for Work and Pensions, housing associations and food banks, have enabled Severn Wye’s advisers to identify and reach more people in need.
Jacqui Harris added: ‘Support and advice are provided where the client feels most comfortable – through home visits, events and drop-ins, and classroom-style awareness sessions. We have also been able to build relationships with Traveller communities and visit sites to provide families with advice and support, including carbon monoxide awareness.
‘In many cases, across different community groups, our support has resulted in crippling energy debts being cleared and issues with suppliers resolved which clients found too complicated and stressful to sort out by themselves. Nearly 400 people have attended drop-ins and events and Severn Wye’s recent presentation to Ukrainian refugees in South Gloucestershire was so well received that further sessions are planned for communities from Afghanistan and Hong Kong.’
Help available to eligible clients through the scheme includes debt support through energy suppliers’ trust funds, resolving meter problems, carbon monoxide advice and installing alarms, liaising with suppliers and setting up repayment plans and support with Priority Service Registration.
Front-line staff should use this online referral form so Severn Wye’s advisers can contact vulnerable clients directly.
