The new energy rates came into place on October 1st 2022. The below organisations may be able to support you reduce your energy usage and help with bills. There are also some tips on reducing energy usage as well.

Support with energy

• Energy Saving Trust – An independent organisation that can offer home energy advice
• British Gas Energy Trust – Offers local money and energy advice
• The Local Energy Advice Partnership – Free energy and money saving advice, including energy saving measures for your home. Phone number: 0800 060 7567
• Energyworks Green Doctors – Offer a number of energy saving services to Greater Manchester residents enabling them to be warmer, healthier and better off in their homes. E-mail: energyworks@groundwork.org.uk Phone number: 0800 090 3638
• NEA’s Warm and Safe Homes Advice Service (WASH) – Free advice on your energy bills and keeping warm in your home. NEA can also help you work out if you’re getting all the benefits you are entitled to. Webchat: nea.org.uk/webchat Phone number: (Mon-Fri 10am-12pm: 0800 304 7159)

You may be eligible for free or discounted insulation or heating measures – contact your energy supplier and see if you qualify for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) or your local council and ask about any schemes operating in your area.

Tips for saving energy

• Contact your supplier to check that you’re on the cheapest tariff or discuss energy debt. Your energy supplier is required to work with you to set up an affordable repayment plan, and the sooner you contact them to let them know you’re struggling, the quicker you can get help. You also may be able to access hardship funds to help with repaying your debt.
• Making your home as energy efficient as possible is the best way to reduce your costs and keep your home feeling warmer. There are some low-cost actions you can take yourself such as:
• Installing draught-proofing products, available at your local DIY store, which can be a cheap way of making your home warme
• Placing radiator reflectors behind your radiators which can help keep more of the heat coming into the room
• Using thermal underlay beneath carpets and close curtains at dusk to keep more heat in
• If you’re able to still stay warm, turn the thermostat down by 1 degree. This could reduce your heating bill by up to 10%. You can use thermostats and Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) to keep the rooms you use most warm while saving energy
• Avoid using standby on electrical devices. Devices on standby mode can use almost as much energy as when they are being used.
• Ask your energy supplier for a smart meter. They’re installed at no additional cost, and the in-home display can help you see how much energy you’re using and how much it’s costing you. Seeing this information can help you to make changes around the home to save energy, and money.
• Check with your energy supplier and network operator to see if you, or the person you care for, can be included on their Priority Services Register (PSR)This is a free support service to help people in vulnerable situations, for example people who are of pensionable age, have a long-term medical condition or disability, have a hearing or sight condition or other needs. Being on the PSR can help with regular meter reading services, priority support in an emergency, or allow someone to nominate a person to help manage energy bills on their behalf.

You can read more tips at Heat the Human, not the Home – a guide from Martin Lewis to keeping warm.

Energy Saving Trust also have further tips here.