Richmondshire residents are being offered help to cut their energy bills.
Citizens Advice Mid North Yorkshire is joining forces with Warm and Well in North Yorkshire to offer advice and support to householders.
There will be two events involving Citizens Advice Richmondshires’ Rural Advice Bus, across the district to help take the sting out of people’s fuel bills and combat fuel poverty in the area.
The events will take place during Big Energy Saving Week 2020, a national campaign run by Citizens Advice, Citizens Advice Scotland, Energy Saving Trust (EST) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Everyone is invited to attend the free events where they’ll be shown how to reduce their energy costs using a three-step rule of check, switch and save:
- Check their meter and bills regularly to make sure they’re paying the right amount.
- Switch to a different tariff or supplier that’s better value for money by using Citizens Advice’s energy comparison tool.
- Save energy by turning appliances off and making sure walls and lofts are well insulated. They should also make sure their boiler is in good working order.
Advisers will also suggest further cost-cutting measures people can adopt, depending on their circumstances.
This could include making sure their home is well insulated so it’s energy efficient, or checking if they’re entitled to benefits, grants or discounts like the Warm Home Discount – a £140 rebate from their supplier. All that attend will also receive a free, energy savings goody bag!
The Best Energy Savings Week events will take place across Richmondshire at the following locations and dates:
- Thursday, January 23, Middleham Key Centre, Park Ln, Middleham, Leyburn,DL8 4RA 11:30am to 2pm
- Friday, January 24, Tesco Catterick Garrison, 10am to 1pm, Richmondshire Walk, Catterick Garrison, DL9 3EN
Those who can’t make the event can use Citizen Advice’s energy comparison tool at home, contact Citizens Advice Richmondshire on 01748 823862, or call the Consumer Service Helpline on 03454 04 05 06 for advice on reducing their energy costs.
Laura Thomas, Warm and Well North Yorkshire Project Coordinator, said: “Big Energy Saving Week is a fantastic opportunity to get expert advice on a range of ways you can reduce your energy costs.
“Switching your tariff or supplier is normally the quickest and most effective way to bring your costs down, but you can also modify your home and change your habits. We at Warm & Well North Yorkshire, have found on average that we can save people £213 on their energy costs just by switching suppliers and getting them the best deal.”
“It’s important for us to be taking part in Big Energy Saving Week as it’s often pensioners, single parent families and those on the lowest incomes who are likely to be paying over the odds for their energy as they’re least likely to switch.
“Fuel poverty in Richmondshire currently stands at 9 per cent of the population, we are working hard with Citizens Advice Mid North Yorkshire, and our other valued partner organisations to try and get these figures down”
“We encourage as many people as possible to attend these events or to use the Citizens Advice energy comparison tool to check for savings, which can be found at https://energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk/”.
“For those that are unable to get to these events you can still get help with your bills, just get in touch with Warm & Well in North Yorkshire on 01609 767555 or www.warmandwell.org.uk ”
