CITIZENS ADVICE AND HOME HEAT HELPLINE JOIN FORCES TO FIGHT NEW YEAR FINANCIAL BLUES

28th December 2006

- Financial help available for those worried about paying their gas and electricity bills

- £4 billion - £7 billion of benefits going unclaimed; £1,500 per person

- Free guides and information available

The Home Heat Helpline and Citizens Advice are today calling on vulnerable people to get in touch and access the grants and benefits to which they are entitled. As the New Year kicks in, many people will be struggling to pay their household bills and it is crucial that these people are supported during this difficult time.

Tony Herbert, Policy Officer at Citizens Advice, says: “Living in a cold home can lead to serious illness and death for vulnerable people such as pensioners, disabled people and low-income families. We are seeing lots of people struggling with their energy bills so it is vital that people find out what they are entitled to and claim and get advice on how to stay warm this winter.

“People can call the Home Heat Helpline for free for help and advice if they have any concerns about their bills or how to keep warm for less. Do make use of all help that is available to you.”

The Home Heat Helpline – an initiative by Britain’s energy suppliers to help fight fuel poverty – will provide all branches of Citizens Advice with a range of printed materials containing advice and information on keeping warm over the winter period.

Duncan Sedgwick, chief executive of the Energy Retail Association, says: “Keeping your home warm is crucial, as living in cold temperatures can cause illness, particularly for older people, young families and people with disabilities. Grants, discounts and advice on insulating your house are available via the Home Heat Helpline so it’s important that people get in touch by calling 0800 33 66 99”.

Duncan Sedgwick continued: “We are proud to be working with Citizens Advice in fighting fuel poverty this winter. Citizens Advice Bureaux provide an essential local service and we hope that people will drop into their local centre or give the Home Heat Helpline a call this winter”.

There are between £4.2 billion and £7.3 billion worth of Government benefits going unclaimed. On average, vulnerable customers are missing out on £1,500 each in grants and rebates. The Home Heat Helpline can help them access this money and grants and extra services from their energy suppliers.

Notes to Editors:

Four Communications
0870 423 0907
HHH@fourcommunications.com

Home Heat Helpline
Suzi Darsa – 020 7747 5436
Suzi.darsa@energy-retail.org.uk

Citizens Advice
Sarah Miller – 07792 295 083
Sarah.Miller@citizensadvice.org.uk

The guide is available at www.homeheathelpline.org/media
Home Heat Helpline – 0800 33 66 99

1. The Home Heat Helpline operates from Monday to Friday 9am-8pm and from 10am-2pm on Saturday. There is a free minicom number (0800 027 2122) and the Helpline also has access to interpreters for those callers whose first language is not English. www.homeheathelpline.org

2. The Helpline is operated by The essentiagroup and is staffed by expert advisers, including former health professionals, who are trained to give advice on how to stay warm during the cold weather. They are also trained and authorised to deal with intermediaries calling on behalf of vulnerable customers, such as friends, carers, social workers or health visitors

3. The Home Heat Helpline was launched by the Energy Retail Association which was established in October 2003 and is the only dedicated trade association for domestic energy suppliers in the UK.

4. The Home Heat Helpline is a free service for all British citizens and is funded by Britain’s six major energy suppliers which is the only telephone helpline service that aims to tackle fuel poverty. The energy suppliers spent £300 million between 2002 – 2005 on tackling fuel poverty and have committed to spend a further £700 million over the next 3 years on this important issue.

5. The Citizens Advice service is a network of independent charities that helps people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more information see www.citizensadvice.org.uk

6. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.

7. Most Citizens Advice service staff are trained volunteers, working at around 3,400 service outlets across England and Wales.

8. Citizens Advice also provide advice and information at www.adviceguide.org.uk and a volunteer hotline on 08451 264 264 (local rate

Top

For further information please contact:

Niki Bowles, Head of Communications and Media Relations on 0207 930 9181 or 07730 898 641
Russell Hamblin-Boone, Head of Corporate Affairs on 0207 930 9177 or 07810 374 110