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Charity Urges Energy Companies to Help Poor Families (6 January 2012)

Date: 06/01/2012
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Charity Urges Energy Companies to Help Poor Families

Save the Children has urged energy companies to aid families who are struggling to meet the cost of fuel bills. The charity claims that 800,000 families are eligible for the new Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2011/12, which grants families a £120 discount on the cost of their energy bills. However, it claims that a funding deficit by energy companies will mean that only 25,000 families will benefit from the discount. Energy UK has stated that many more families, such as those receiving low incomes or with disabilities, would be entitled to financial support towards the cost of energy bills from their energy companies. However, Save the Children has described the scheme as being “fundamentally flawed” as energy companies are not required to provide financial support to all low-income families at risk of experiencing fuel poverty.

A report has claimed that despite research that indicated that the risk of experiencing fuel poverty is similar to that for low-income families as it is for the elderly, the Government has concluded that only the poor elderly individuals will constitute the “core group” who are automatically eligible to receive support. Energy UK, a representative of the gas and electricity industry, stated that the UK’s major energy suppliers had written to their customers to advertise the financial support available to them. Energy UK’s director, Christine McGourty, claimed that almost £180 million in funding was allocated to voluntary schemes to aid nearly two million vulnerable customers.

Duncan Lewis’ welfare benefits solicitors can assess clients’ eligibility to financial support towards the cost of their fuel bills.

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