how to save money on energy bills 2014

how to save money on

energy bills

A guide for families in Halesowen and Rowley Regis by James Morris MP

Third edition

How to save money on energy bills 2014

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Produced by James Morris MP

Trinity Point, New Road, Halesowen, B63 3HY 0121 550 [email protected]

James holds regular surgeries across Halesowen and Rowley Regis, giving you the opportunity to raise issues or problems in person. Please contact James to make an appointment.

This help guide has been prepared with great care. The publisher can not, however, be held liable for any mistakes or omissions.

If you wish to make a correction, update or addition, please contact: [email protected]

Front page photo: © Ed Isaacs www.dreamstime.com

This guide has been printed using local donations, at no cost to the taxpayer


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With Halesowen pensioner Barry Clement who was helped to buy a new boiler by npower’s Health Through Warmth scheme

IntroductionAre you worried about rising energy bills? If so then this guide can help. There is lots of help already out there but it can sometimes be hard to find and difficult to know who to turn to.

This third edition of my energy saving guide is designed to help people in Halesowen and Rowley Regis to find ways reduce the amount of energy they use and to help get energy bills down.

I have included updated advice on how to get the best deal from your energy supplier and details about schemes such as the Government’s Green Deal which can enable you to install energy saving measures at no up-front cost.

There is also information about a range of financial support for older people and those on low incomes.

At the end of the guide is a list of various organisations and helplines that can offer advice and support, and answer any of your questions.

I hope that you find the guide useful. Please do pass on the advice to any friends and neighbours - and in particular older people - who you think might be able to benefit.

James Morris MP


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Are you on the right energy tariff?Most households have been with the same gas and electricity companies for several years. You could save money by switching to another energy supplier and choosing the tariff that is best suited to your needs.

The information you will needChecking which is the right tariff for you will be easier if you have important information handy, including:

■ Your existing supplier’s details; ■ The name of your current tariff; ■ How you pay for your energy (i.e. by direct debit, by receiving your bill, pre-payment meter etc);

■ How much gas and/or electricity you use.

These details should be on your current gas and electricity bills.

Ofgem Confidence CodeSince March 2013, Ofgem has had responsibility for the Confidence Code, which was previously managed by Consumer Focus, that ensures that energy price comparison websites are clear and accurate.

Ofgem (www.ofgem.gov.uk) now publishes a list of accredited price comparison websites, which can help you to judge which tariffs will be the


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cheapest for you, based on how much gas and electricity you use.

Remember: when choosing a price comparison service, look for the Ofgem Confidence Code logo to be sure of the most accurate and detailed compari-sons available.

A list of price comparison websites accred-ited by Ofgem can be found at the end of this guide.

For older or disabled customersIn addition, if you are disabled, have a long-term illness or are over the pension age, you can ask your energy supplier about registering for the Priority Service Register.

This would enable you to get help with annual gas safety checks, meter readings, priority treatment in an emergency and most importantly also means that you cannot have your utili-ties disconnected during the winter.

Should you freeze or switch?There has been a lot of debate about whether the Government should force energy companies to freeze prices.

If you want the security of knowing that your energy bills won’t rise, you can already choose a tariff that is fixed for up to four years.

This does come at a price - because energy firms know that they won’t be able to raise prices, they charge more to start with - a bit like if you choose a

fixed mortgage rate.

If the Government announced that bills had to be frozen, energy companies would just push up their prices before the freeze came into force

The alternative is to search for the cheapest rate now. Although this will almost certainly rise each year, it might still work out cheaper over the four years than fixing at a higher rate now.

I have opposed the freeze because I think it is better to let people choose whether they would prefer the lower prices now or the security of fixed-prices. Taking away the option of lower variable tariffs would just make bills more expensive now for many people.

Making it easier to switchThe Government is making it easier to switch suppliers. New rules will allow most people to be able to switch in just

MoneySavingExpert.com Cheap Energy Club

Money Saving Expert, set up by award-winning campaigning TV and radio presenter Martin Lewis, will check that you’re not overpaying.

After you register for the Cheap Energy Club for free, they will find the best gas & electricity tariffs, including tariffs that are guaranteed not to rise for up to four years.

They will also monitor your tariff and email you if cheaper plans become available and when it is time for you to switch to another energy company.


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24 hours instead of the current 5 weeks.

Suppliers are now required to simplify the entire process and to make information on tariffs and price plans more accessible and far easier to understand.

They must also place a ‘cheaper tariff signpost’ on the front page of their bills which encourage customers to telephone their supplier or visit their website to find out if they could save money on their energy bills.

Ofgem, the energy regulator, has published new rules requiring energy companies will to:

■ cut their confusing range of over-lapping tariffs and offer no more than four core tariffs for each fuel type (gas and electricity)

■ introduce clearer bills showing the cheapest tariffs

■ make sure that they treat customers more fairly or risk Ofgem fines.

The Government’s Energy Bill will require energy companies to put all customers on their cheapest variable tariffs unless customers ask for a different tariff (like a “green” tariff).

Could you get help from your energy supplier?

Warm Home Discount SchemeThe Warm Home Discount is a four year scheme, running until March 2015, and is designed to help low-income and vulnerable households with their energy bills.

The value of the discount has been increased to £135 for this winter and receiving the Warm Home Discount does not affect Winter Fuel Payments or for Cold Weather Payments.

a) Core roup

Older people are considered as part of a ‘core group’ and will be guaranteed the rebate, provided that:

■ They were aged under 75 on 20th July 2013 and receiving only the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (no Savings Credit) or are aged 75 or over and were receiving the Guarantee Credit

element of Pension Credit, (even if they get Savings Credit as well).

■ Their electricity supplier is partici-pating in the scheme.

■ Their name, or their partner’s name, is on their electricity bill.

If you qualify for the discount, you will get a letter from the Government telling you one of the following:

■ either you don’t have to apply for the discount – you’ll get it auto-matically;

■ or you must apply for the discount before the deadline – the letter will tell you why and how.

Letters are sent between mid September 2013 and January 2014. Contact the helpline on 0845 603 9439 if your letter doesn’t arrive by February 2014.


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The deadline to claim for winter 2013-2014 is 14th March 2014.

The money is paid directly by the Government to your energy company and deducted from your bill.

b) Broader group

It is not just the elderly who can qualify but other vulnerable households too. Those on low-incomes or those with long-term illnesses or disabilities may also be eligible. Electricity suppliers that are participating in the scheme have been requested to set aside a certain amount which will be used to support these households which is known as the ‘broader group’.

Unlike the eligibility requirements for the core group, each energy supplier

draws up its own requirements for the broader group and so eligibility will vary from one energy company to another. However, they all have to be approved by Ofgem to make sure that the help is directed at vulnerable groups.

The Warm Home Discount scheme replaces the ‘social tariffs’ energy companies used to offer.

The ‘social tariff’ agreement has now ended, but suppliers can choose to put in place transitional support for those customers who had been on discounted tariffs as part of the Warm Home Discount scheme.

It is estimated that the social tariffs were only able to help fewer than one


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million households. The Warm Home Discount that is replacing these social tariffs is expected to help around two million households by 2014 and will be worth up to £1.1 billion compared to the previous scheme which was worth only £375 million.

Some energy companies that are participating will be offering more help than others. EDF Energy, for instance, estimates that between 40,000-45,000 customers will benefit from the Warm Home Discount scheme.

British Gas has stated that “no eligible customer” will lose out as a result of change from their old social tariffs to the new Warm Home Discount scheme. The Energy Minister has said that he will be pressuring the other energy companies to follow the British Gas example and guarantee a payment to all eligible customers.

In order to see if you are eligible to be considered as part of the ‘broader group’, you should contact your energy provider as soon as possible.

Participating energy companies

Almost all of the main energy compa-nies are participating in the Warm Homes Discount scheme. Contact your energy supplier to check that they are taking part.

Priority Service RegisterIf you are disabled, have a long-term illness or are a pensioner, you can ask your energy supplier about registering for the Priority Service Register. This would enable you to get help with annual gas safety checks, meter readings, priority treatment in an emer-

gency and most also means that you cannot have your utilities disconnected during the winter.

Further Assistance PaymentsFurther Assistance Payments can be made available for household items such as cookers, washing machines or refrigerators when they break down and need to be replaced but there must be an urgent need for such finan-cial assistance.

A letter would need to be provided from an appropriate professional indicating that there was an urgent and special need for the item to be replaced. For example, this profes-sional could be a health worker or social worker.

These payments can also be made available for such things as replacing or repairing a boiler. Exceptional circumstances would have to be proved and supporting letters from appropriate professionals would also need to confirm the requirement for such a payment. In addition, quotes for the work would have to be provided before any award was made.

To apply, call 01733 421060 or email [email protected] or you can complete the form online at www.charisgrants.com.

Other support from energy suppliersIn addition to the Warm Homes Discount scheme, energy suppliers will be spending up to £140 million this year to provide help to vulnerable and low income households who benefitted


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from previous voluntary discounted rates and rebates that they offered.

Case Study:

EDF Energy Trust Fund

Various energy companies do provide funds which can be used to help you in exceptional circumstances.

For instance, the energy company EDF Energy has created the EDF Energy Trust Fund which is designed to award grants to:

■ Help to clear domestic gas and electricity debts.

■ Clear other priority debts (also known as Further Assistance Payments).

■ Purchase essential household

items.

Case Study:

The British Gas Energy Trust

The British Gas Energy Trust is a registered charity designed to offer assistance to those customers who have difficulty in paying their gas and electricity bills. Individuals and families who require help can apply to have their gas and electricity debts cleared and other priority debts can be paid off in exceptional circumstances. This help would be in the form of grants which would not have to be repaid.

You can apply by online at www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk or by requesting a form by telephoning 01733 421 060.

The Green Deal

What is it?The Green Deal is a new initiative that was launched by the Government in October 2012.

It allows individuals and businesses to get loans to install energy saving measures at no up-front cost that will really help to improve the energy efficiency of properties.

The loans can then be repaid over a period of up to 25 years through your energy bills from the money you save.

The amount you pay back will be no more than you can be expected to save on heating bills, so you should be better off overall from day one.

The Green Deal loan stays with the

property. If you move, and so you no longer benefit from the improvements, you will stop paying for them and the loan will be taken over by the new occupants of the property through their heating bills.

Millions of homes and businesses could benefit from improvements under the Green Deal.

More help is also being given to those who are most in need such as those on low incomes and vulnerable house-holds.

How does it work?Improvements to your property such as loft and cavity wall insulation, under-floor heating, heat pumps, draught


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proofing, double glazing and boilers, can be installed by an accredited provider at no up-front cost.

This helps to make expensive home improvements affordable.

The first step will be to get an inde-pendent and impartial on-site assess-ment of your home.

The advisor will be able to identify where your home is wasting energy and tell you what steps you could take to reduce this waste. They should also be able to tell you how much you can expect to save by installing each of these measures.

The next step will be to choose which improvements you would like to be made.

Accredited Green Deal assessorsThere is a list of ‘Green Deal Approved’ companies who have been accredited and you can work with them to agree the price for the work but crucially, you do not have to pay them for the work straight away.

Most companies will charge £99 to £150 but a few are offering free assessments and some others will deduct the cost of the assessment from the cost of any installation work they do.

Search for accredited Green Deal assessors at www.greendealorb.co.uk/consumersearch or call 0300 123 1234 for advice.

Other incentivesThe Government is determined to get the Green Deal running and so it has put £125 million into a cashback scheme for early applicants.

The cashback payments typically range from £50 for draught-proofing to £320 for double-glazing.

Consumer protection ■ A new accreditation and standards scheme for those authorised under the Green Deal.

■ Stronger cold calling protections. ■ Robust warranties. ■ Cross-selling of products is only allowed when customers have agreed this in advance.

Energy Company ObligationPart of the Green Deal is the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which will require energy companies to provide more funding for energy efficiency measures for vulnerable households.

Through ECO, the government aims to help 230,000 low-income households or those in low-income areas.

The Affordable Warmth Obligation provides heating and insulation improvements for low-income and vulnerable households in private or private-rented housing

The eligibility criteria for this means-tested scheme are quite complex. Call the Energy Saving Advice Service on 0300 123 1234 to check whether you might be eligible, and to apply.


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What other financial assistance is available?

Health Through WarmthHealth Through Warmth is a scheme run by the energy company npower, working with the NHS and the charity National Energy Action. The scheme helps people whose health is suffering, or at serious risk of suffering, due to a lack of adequate heating or insulation.

Although it is run by npower, you do not need to be an npower customer to apply and the scheme is offered in addi-tion to the company’s support through the Warm Home Discount scheme.

How can Health Through Warmth help?

Health Through Warmth can contribute

towards the cost of a range of meas-ures to tackle inadequate heating or insulation, including replacing or repairing a boiler or other heating systems, or fitting cavity wall or loft insulation. Although households will usually be asked to pay a contribution towards the cost of installation, if this really is not affordable, other funding can often be found to fill any gap.

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for help from the Health Through Warmth scheme, contact Tracey Rilett or Tracey Carswell at Black Country Housing on 0121 561 1969.


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Cold Weather PaymentsThis is a payment that is made to help you with the cost of heating during the winter months depending on if you are already in receipt of other benefits.

Who can get Cold Weather Payments?

You may be entitled to Cold Weather Payments if you receive:

■ Pension Credit ■ Income Support ■ Income-based Jobseeker’s Allow-ance

■ Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

■ Universal Credit

You do not need to apply for Cold Weather Payments as they will be automatically paid into the same bank account as your other benefits.

The Government has permanently increased the value of Cold Weather Payments from £8.50 to £25. These are made for each seven day period of between November and the March when the local temperature is either:

■ Recorded as an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.

■ Forecast to be an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.

If you do not receive a Cold Weather Payment when you are entitled, you should contact either your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus.

Winter Fuel PaymentsWinter Fuel Payments are yearly one-off payments that also help people to pay for their heating bills during winter.

They are paid to men and women who have reached the minimum age at which they can receive their state pension - for this year you need to have been born before 5th January 1952.

The amount that is paid is dependent upon your circumstances when you apply but it could be between £100 and £300.

How to claim

Once you have reached the qualifying age or if you are receiving certain benefits, you should automatically be sent a claim form in the post.

If you do not receive the claim form, you can request a copy of the form to be sent to you in the post by calling 08459 15 15 15 or you can download the form by visiting www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment.

The form then needs to be returned to the following address:

Winter Fuel Payment Centre

Department for Work and Pensions PO Box 22 Gateshead NE92 1BX

Do I need to claim?

If you are currently receiving State Pension or certain other benefits, then you will be paid automatically and do not need to make a claim.


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You also do not need to claim if you are eligible and you are in receipt of any one of the following benefits:

State Pension; Disability Living Allowance; Employment and Support Allowance; Graduated Retirement Benefit; Income Support; Incapacity Benefit; Jobseeker’s Allowance; Industrial Injuries Benefits; Pension Credit; Severe Disablement Allowance; Attendance Allowance; War Pension; Bereavement Benefit; Widow’s Benefit; Carer’s Allowance

Renewable energyRenewable energy technologies take natural resources and use them to provide free electricity and heating rather than relying on fossil fuels. This can help to drive down the cost of energy as well as reducing carbon emissions.

There is a variety of renewable energy technologies suitable for homeowners to install, including:

■ Photovoltaics ■ Solar Thermal Water Heating ■ Heat Pumps ■ Wood Fuels ■ Wind Energy

There is also a range of incentives that have been provided by the Govern-ment to help fund these installations which are detailed below.

The Renewable Heat Premium PaymentThe Renewable Heat Premium Payment is a new Government scheme.

Assuming that your home is connected to the gas grid, you can apply for a £300 voucher towards the cost of installing solar thermal panels.

The Government has announced details of a new Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and it is expected to be launched in spring 2014. This will replace the Renewable Heat Premium Payment and will mean that all householders who have installed solar thermal panels since 2009 will receive long-term finan-cial support as long as their installation meets the eligibility rules.

Who can apply?

Anyone can apply for a Renewable Heat Premium Payment for solar thermal panels. The deadline has been extended until the new Renewable Heat Incentive launches in the spring.

You must own the property in which you wish to install the renewable technology or, if you rent your home, you must have permission from the landlord and be purchasing the installation for yourself. The property must have loft insulation to 250mm and also cavity wall insula-tion (if this is possible in your property). Necessary planning permissions must already be in place.

How do I apply?

You can apply for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment online through the Energy Saving Trust’s website at https://secure.est.org.uk/scheme/view/rhpp. Alternatively, you can telephone on 0800 512 012.


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Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs)If you decide to install microgeneration technology in your property, you can apply for the Feed-in-Tariff scheme.

The scheme is designed to give you a minimum payment for the electricity that is generated by the system and additional payments for any surplus electricity that is then transferred to the national grid. These payments are in addition to the savings that you would make on your energy bills.

The FITs scheme covers electricity that is generated by the following means:

■ Solar electricity (PV) ■ Wind turbine ■ Hydroelectricity

■ Anaerobic digestion ■ Micro combined heat and power

The tariffs vary depending upon when the technology was installed. Compa-nies installing the technology need to be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

Subsidies from FITs have been reduced, but the cost of microgenera-tion equipment has also fallen sharply.

How do I apply?

The easiest way to apply is to follow the step-by-step guide which can be provided by the Energy Saving Trust, either through www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or by telephoning 0800 512 012.


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Could you make your home more energy efficient?There are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of energy that is used unnecessarily by making your home more energy efficient. This could save you hundreds of pounds each year on your utility bills.

Cavity wall insulationApproximately one third of heat lost in an uninsulated home is through the walls. Insulating your walls is a very cost effective way of saving money and energy in your home. If your home was built between the 1920s and the 1990s then insulating your walls could save you up to £140 on your annual heating bills.

Not all homes can be insulated in this way, so if your home is a solid wall construction or was built before the 1920s, you may need to consider installing internal or external wall insulation which could save you about £460 each year.

Loft insulationAn uninsulated loft can result in you losing 15% of the heating that you pay for. Insulating your loft with 270mm of insulation could save you up to £175 each year.

Some energy suppliers offer free cavity wall and loft insulation for customers on low income.

For other people, the new Green Deal lets you borrow money for energy effi-ciency improvements and then repay over a long period, using money that you should save.

Your thermostatCan you turn your thermostat down by 1 degree without being too cold? If so, you could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent, saving you about £65 annually. In very cold weather, setting your thermostat to come on earlier in the morning uses less energy than turning up the heating.

Look for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logoWhen buying new electrical products, look for the Energy Savings Trust logo which is a quick and simple way of finding the most energy efficient products. Electrical appliances such as televisions, computers and kettles as well as heating and lighting prod-ucts will have this logo prominently displayed.

Check your boilerIf your boiler is over 15 years old then it could be time to replace it with a new energy efficient one. Replacing an old boiler with an A-rated condensing model with a full set of heating controls could save you a quarter of your annual heating bill immediately, which is £235 on average for a gas heated home.

Insulate your hot water tankAn insulating jacket for a hot water tank does not cost very much and very soon pays for itself. Fitting a jacket that is 75mm or 3 inches thick will save about £35 each year.


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Block up those draughtsUnless your home is very new, it’s likely that you are losing heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, maybe up a chimney, and a whole host of other little holes around the house.

Why not buy some proper draught-proofing products for the doors and windows, seal your skirting boards with silicone sealant, and fit a chimney draught excluder or sealed fire guards? DIY draught proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards could save you up to £75 a year in a draughty home.

When you’ve finished, switch it offA typical household wastes £50-90 worth of electricity every year just from leaving things on standby instead of turning them off.

Close your curtainsAs the days grow shorter as winter approaches, closing your curtains at dusk helps to stop heat escaping through windows. This is a simple and free way of reducing wasted energy and your energy bills.

Energy efficient light bulbs Energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times as long as regular bulbs and if you replace all your light bulbs with energy efficient ones, you could save up to £45 each year and £670 over the lifetime of all the bulbs.

See what energy you are usingMost people are surprised to find out how much electricity they are using around the home. An Energy Saving Monitor will show you how much elec-tricity you are using so that you can decide what you might be able to save.

You can buy a monitor for around £28 or Dudley residents can borrow one from the library. You can call Halesowen Library on 01384 812982 or Long Lane on 01384 812880.

Generate your own powerYou could install your own microgen-eration systems such as solar PV for electricity and ground source heat pumps for heat. Government schemes such as the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) can offer you an income from the electricity that you generate and the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) can help you to cover the up-front cost of installing green heating systems.

The Energy Saving Trust has an online home energy check which you can find at hec.est.org.uk or by calling 0300 123 1234. You can complete an online questionnaire which will give you specific advice on how you can improve your home’s energy efficiency.

The EST can give you free and impartial advice on how to make your home more energy efficient and tell you about financial grants that may be available.

Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check


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Price comparison sites - Accredited by OfgemWith energy companies offering a wide range of deals, it’s easy to become confused about what’s on offer. To help you decide which is best for you, use one of the price comparison services that have signed up to Ofgem’s Confi-dence Code.

The Code, which used to be managed by Consumer Focus, is designed to help make the switching process easier, more reli-able and provide reassurance for consumers.

Look for the Ofgem Confidence Code logo on these sites:

switchgasandelectric.com www.switchgasandelectric.com

TheEnergyShop.com www.theenergyshop.com

0845 330 7247

Energy Helpline www.energyhelpline.com

0800 074 0745

UK Power www.ukpower.co.uk

0800 093 2447

Uswitch www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity

0800 404 7908

myutiltygenius.co.uk myutiltygenius.co.uk

www.energylinx.co.uk www.energylinx.co.uk

Moneysupermarket.comwww.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity

0845 345 1296

Which? Switchwww.which.co.uk/switch

01992 822867

SimplySwitchwww.simplyswitch.com

08000 111 395

Unravelitwww.unravelit.com/utilities.php

0800 862 0021


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Useful contacts

Age UKAn independent charity, Age UK is the organisation that combines Age Concern and Help the Aged It provides information and advice for elderly people about a wide range of issues.

Age UK Advice Line: 0800 169 8787 [email protected]

Halesowen & Stourbridge Age Concern Centre: 0121 561 5341

Black Country Housing GroupBlack Country Housing is the main contact point for people wishing to apply for support from npower’s Health Through Warmth scheme.

They also run “First Stop”, a free one-stop service, offering advice for older people and their families on a wide range of issues, including care, housing, welfare, energy and finance.

Age UK Advice Line: 0121 561 1969

Check, Switch, Insulate to save money this winterA government-run advice website with tips on how to cut your energy costs.

www.gov.uk/energyhelp

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)www.adviceguide.org.uk for online information. For specific advice, contact your local Citizens Advice centre:

Sandwell Citizens Advice Bureau: 0121 500 2703

Halesowen Citizens Advice Bureau: 01384 816222

Consumer DirectA government-funded service providing practical consumer advice including how to complain about your energy company.

01209 720 333 www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

Consumer FocusConsumer Focus can provide advice and information about the energy market. They cannot discuss individual complaints. If you need advice, call Consumer Direct.

0845 404 0506 www.consumerfocus.org.uk

Dudley Council Energy Advice LineProvides free information and advice about energy efficiency grants, discount schemes and tariff switching.

0800 29 22 679

Energy OmbudsmanContact the Energy Ombudsman if you have a problem or complaint that cannot be resolved by your energy supplier. You should always first contact your energy supplier.

Only when they have exhausted their complaints procedures should you


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contact the Ombudsman.

0330 440 1624 or 01925 530 263 www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk

Energy Saving TrustA national, non-profit, organisation providing free and impartial informa-tion and advice on how to improve energy efficiency in your home.

The Energy Saving Trust is linked to a network of local advice centres.

0800 512 012 [email protected] www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

EnergyextraA free service offered by local social housing providers, including Dudley Council, Black Country Housing Group and Accord Housing.

It was set up to help save tenants, staff, friends and family money on fuel bills by negotiating discounts on insula-tion and energy-efficient appliances.

It also offers advice on finding a cheaper energy supplier.

0121 561 1969 www.energyextra.co.uk

Gas Safe RegisterGas Safe Register is the official body for gas safety.

It can provide you with advice on gas appliances as well as having a clear register of all reputable companies involved in the field of supplying gas.

0800 408 5500 www.gassaferegister.co.uk

Home Heat HelplineAdvises people worried about paying their fuel bills and keeping warm during the winter.

0800 33 66 99 www.homeheathelpine.org.uk

Jobcentre Plus BenefitsJobcentre Plus can provide you with a wide range of information and services on issues such as which benefits, loans or grants that you may be enti-tled to.

0800 055 6688

OfgemOfgem is the government regulator for the gas and electricity markets. Its purpose is to protect consumers and does offer consumer advice on its website.

www.ofgem.gov.uk

Pensions Advisory ServiceAn advice helpline that can provide elderly people with advice on benefits to which they may be entitled.

0845 601 2923 www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk

Winter Fuel PaymentA form of financial help from the Government for elderly people.

For information and application forms to claim the payment, please contact:

08459 151 515 www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

James morris mpWorking hard for Halesowen & Rowley Regis

If there is anything that I can help you with, please contact me with as many details as possible:

0121 550 6777

[email protected]

www.jamesmorrismp.com

Can i help you with a problem?

mp’s adviCe surgeries

I hold regular advice surgeries in

Halesowen and in Rowley Regis.

If you would like an appointment, please

call my off ice on 0121 550 6777 or email

[email protected]

Promoted by Gary Sambrook, on behalf of James Morris MP, both of 26 High Street, Halesowen, B63 3BB. Printed by Baker Goodchild, 257 Great King Street, Birmingham, B19 3AS.

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