As winter approaches, we know it can be a difficult time for many residents with colder homes, rising energy bills, and extra pressure on household budgets. To help, we’ve highlighted key support services that can make a real difference.
These include help with:
Energy and utility support
If you're struggling to pay your energy bills or keep your home warm, support is available. Your gas, electricity, and water suppliers may offer help such as:
- Repayment plans
- Fuel vouchers
- Hardship funds
We’ve listed energy support services below that may be able to help you and your household.
Many local Age UKs across England and Wales are currently offering the Warm Homes programme. Here's how the programme can help you keep your home warm.
A referral can be made directly via a Housing Officer or NHG member of staff.
Contact
- Telephone: 0330 332 1110
Eligibility:
- 65 years old and over, low income, long-term condition or your house feels cold.
- Benefit entitlement session (benefit entitlement).
- Home energy checks.
- Energy saving light bulbs, drought excluders and reflective radiator panels).
Warm spaces are community venues that provide free, safe and heated environments for anyone who needs to keep warm, especially during winter when energy bills are high.
Some spaces offer additional amenities and support such as hot drinks, activities, facilities (Wi-Fi, computer access etc), support and advise.
See information below on locating warm places near your home:
- Warm Welcome campaign: Over 5,400+ registered warm spaces including libraries, churches, community centres, and cafes.
- Warm spaces by area: 94 directories including councils and charities.
- City of London warm spaces: Local Council websites provide more support and guidance.
You can get energy vouchers for households on pre-payment meters experiencing financial hardship. You can receive up to six vouchers at £49 each and these are redeemed at Pay Point and Post Office.
Evidence 1: Pre-payment meter
- Picture of a pre-payment meter in a tenant's home or a screenshot of your online energy account.
- For pre-payment meter, the screen light must be visibly on, and the picture must display a current balance/ debt. The picture must be clear and not blurry.
Evidence 2: Evidence of eligibility (submit of one evidence listed below)
- Evidence of rent arrears: Through a screenshot of internal systems/ letters sent to tenants detailing debt amount.
- An income and expenditure assessment: Using either your own template or HACT's template (contact NHG Tenancy Support Team for a copy).
- Evidence of benefits/UC entitlement: Benefits better or a screenshot of full bank statement with reference to the payment being made.
Apply for the vouchers via our Energy Relief Fund
Get extra help during power cuts or emergencies if you’re elderly, have a health condition, or a disability.
One of the energy organisations below can support you get on the Priority Services Register or join directly via Ofgem's website.
Pocket Power can you support residents in and out of London with accessing:
- · Hardship funds/grants
- · Discounts
- · Energy debt wipes
- · Water discount
- · New appliances
- · Food Vouchers
- · Broadband,
- · Help to save
- · Mobile bills
- · Bank switching,
- · Social tariffs ·
- Car finance compensation.
You can self-refer or contact your Housing Officer to refer you directly.
Green Doctors offer 1-2-1 support with residents who are:
- Low income below £16,190 or in receipt of any means tested benefits
- Energy bills costing more than 10% of the household income
- Long-term health condition (such as respiratory/ circulatory disease or mental health condition
- People with a disability
- Older people (60 and over)
- Households with children under 10
Green Doctor offer support on:
- Personalised advice on energy bill to understand confusing/incorrect bills.
- Energy saving tips and Information on benefits of smart meters.
- Delivering free energy-saving items such as draft proofing strips/LED light bulbs, etc.
- Support accessing home improvement grants and schemes.
- Supporting with accessing the water discounts, priority services register, and other schemes as well as information about Warm Homes Discount.
- Support with applications for energy or water debt relief.
Boroughs eligible
Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, City of London, Ealing, Enfield, Camden, Islington, Haringey, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest Lambeth, Southwark, and Westminster.
You can self-refer or contact your Housing Officer to refer you directly via our support services page.
Offers a dedicated helpline and affordable warmth interventions to ensure households get the help they need to reduce utility bills, tackle energy debt and ultimately stay well and warm.
- Supplier Discount and extra care services
- Energy Doctor Home visit
- Fuel Debt Support
To be eligible for support you must live in Islington and meet one of the following criteria:
- Has a disability
- Has a long-term health conditions worsened by the cold
- Is a child under 15
- Is an adult over 60
- Spends more than 10% of household income on gas, electric or communal heating
You can self-refer or contact your Housing Officer to refer you directly.
Contact
- Telephone; 0800 953 1221 to speak to an advisor,
- Form: Complete online form
- Email: shine@islington.gov.uk
Energy assistance and money saving service that is helping people keep warm during the colder months and reduce their energy bills without costing them any money.
To qualify you must meet one of the following eligibility criteria:
- Low household income (£31k or less) and/or are in receipt of state benefits.
- Energy Advise
- Homeowners with a broken boiler and in a no heat situation (visit website for criteria)
- Appliance/White goods support
You can self-refer or contact your Housing Officer to refer you directly.
Contact
- Telephone (England & Wales): 0800 060 7567
- Telephone (Scotland) - 0800 029 4543
- Email - support@applyforleap.org.uk
BHBH reduce the number of people in fuel poverty and improve domestic warmth and wellbeing.
Provides free, confidential, and tailored solutions to residents meet a home’s specific circumstances including:
- Switching energy suppliers
- Maximising income
- Signing up to the Priority Services Register
- Accessing funding and grants
You can self-refer or contact your Housing Officer to refer you directly.
Contact
- Telephone: 0800 107 0044
Free energy advice and help with keeping your home warm.
Contact
- Telephone: 0800 304 7159
- Website: www.nea.org.uk
Tips on saving energy and reducing costs.
Contact
- Telephone: 0808 175 9345
- Website: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
You may be able to get a winter fuel payment of between £100-£300 towards winter heating bills.
Please check your eligibility via gov.uk
You may qualify for £150 off your electricity bill this winter.
Apply through your energy supplier.
Find out more info via gov.uk website.
Food support
If you need support with food cots there is support available in many areas.
Local councils and community organisations often offer food vouchers, food banks, and other services to help with groceries and essentials.
We’ve listed food support services below that may be able to help you and your household.
Contact your Housing Officer if you need food support. We will be able to support you with foodbank voucher.
Emergency help with food, energy, and essential living costs. Ask your council or contact our tenancy support team for details.
Find out more info via gov.uk website.
Find your nearest food bank: www.trusselltrust.org
Affordable groceries and fresh produce. Ask your local council or our team for local details.
Find out more info via gov.uk website.
Apps offering free or low-cost food from local shops and cafes:
- Too Good To Go: Help save good food from going to waste by helping businesses unlock revenue from their surplus. Find out more info and download the app.
- Olio: Helps prevent food waste - the app for finding what you need and sharing what you don’t with local people. Find out more info and download the app.
Support for pregnant women and families with young children.
Find out more info via healthy start's website.
Debt
Get support with bills, rent, or debts alongside confidential and free advice from our list of support service organisations below.
You may be able to apply for a discretionary housing payment (DHP) from your local council if you have a live claim for housing benefit or UC housing costs.
Find out more info via gov.uk website.
Money A&E provide money advice services and support to help you make the most out of your income.
You will be allocated a money coach who will offer confidential one to one debt, money guidance and support sessions to help you regain control of your finances.
Participants will receive a £30 voucher upon completion of budgeting course.
You can self-refer via our support services page.
Debt Free Advice offers free, face to face debt advice, with expert advisors tackling all money worries from rent arrears to catalogue debt.
Find out how to prioritise bills and debts, get help to write letters and advocate on people's behalf.
You can self-refer via our support services page.
Get free advice on rent, benefits, and bills from Citizens Advice.
Find your local branch for in-person or phone support.
The charity offers free and flexible debt advice and support.
This includes:
- Free debt help and advice
- Breathing space
- Debt management plan (DMP)
- Individual voluntary arrangement (IVA)
- Debt relief order (DRO)
- Bankruptcy advice
- Equity release advice
- Mortgage advice
Contact
- Phone: 0800 138 1111
- Website: www.stepchange.org
If you’re struggling with debt, National Debt Line can support you.Their team of expert debt advisers will help you to take control of your debts.
Contact
- Telephone: 0808 808 4000
- Website: www.nationaldebtline.org
- Webchat: Debt Advice Online Chat | National Debtline
To check benefits, you may be entitled to check which benefits, grants, or funds you could claim please visit:
- Website: www.turn2us.org.uk
Tenancy support services
We offer a range of support services to help residents with everyday challenges. You can find the full list on our resident support services section, including help with:
- Money and budgeting
- Health and wellbeing
- Jobs, training, and skills
- Family support
Our partner organisations are here to support you with things like cost of living, mental health, and employment. Simply search the directory, select the service you need, and send your details the partner will then contact you to guide you through the next steps.
Welfare benefit advise and support
We understand that navigating the benefits system can be challenging, especially when dealing with complex issues.
That’s why we have dedicated Welfare Benefit Advisers available to support you with advice on your entitlements and any benefit-related concerns. If you’d like to access this service, simply speak to your Housing Officer who can arrange a referral.
