Energy Crisis: Here’s how to get help with your energy bills in Birmingham

More than 500,000 households could be forced into fuel poverty this winter due to soaring wholesale gas prices which has increased energy bills - and Birmingham residents could be some of the hardest hit in the country.

The average household faces a £178 annual hike to bills after the price cap increased to a record-high of £1,277 on October 1.

The rising energy costs come as the government prepares to withdraw the £20 per week Universal Credit uplift on 6 October, which could force as many as 1.5 million people into hardship in the coming months.

The West Midlands is the worst affected region in the UK with almost one in four families already impacted by fuel poverty, with Birmingham Hodge Hill the worst affected out of any constituency in England.

There are 92,990 households in fuel poverty in Birmingham - which is 21% of the city’s population.

The rate in Sandwell is also 21%, with 27,216 households in fuel poverty. Solihull has a rate 12% made up of 11,483 households.

Where to get help in Birmingham

Birmingham City Council has outlined a number of schemes now available to Birmingham residents to get help, from free installation of central heating, switching energy supplier, support with fuel debts, energy saving measures, energy efficient appliances and more.

Available schemes

LEAP - (Local Energy Advice Partnership) can provide help and advice with energy switching, free energy saving measures, money advice and check if you’re eligible for insulation, a new appliance or even a new boiler. Please call LEAP on 0800 060 7567 or apply for leap online.

ECHO - (Emergency Central Heating Offer) is a scheme that offers emergency assistance to fuel poor or vulnerable households (owner occupiers only) to repair or replace broken or condemned boilers. More details here

CONNECTED FOR WARMTH- Connected for Warmth is funded by the Warm Homes Fund, a £150 million national fund provided by National Grid and administered by Affordable Warmth Solutions. Cadent are also contributing towards the cost of the heating systems.

The scheme is run locally by AgilityEco in partnership with Birmingham City Council, installers and housing associations across the Cadent Gas area.

It’s free for eligible households and can also provide a free connection to the gas main if required, ensuring that those in need can benefit from affordable heat and hot water.

Apply for the Connected for Warmth scheme online, or call (free) on 0800 029 4547.

HEART is an initiative to support fuel poor and vulnerable households through the replacement of old, inefficient fridges, fridge/freezers, washing machines and electric cookers with modern, efficient alternatives.

ECO FLEX – (Energy Company Obligation Flexible Eligibility) is a government scheme which provides funding for energy efficiency improvements in the home such as a new central heating system, upgrades to the existing heating system and/or insulation.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires energy suppliers to set aside a fund to install energy saving measures. These help households cut their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.

How big a problem is fuel poverty in the West Midlands?

Speaking to BirminghamWorld in August, Imran Hameed, the founder of the Salma foodbank in Smethwick, which allows families from across the West Midlands to use its services, said some residents were faced with the dilemma of choosing whether to eat or heat the house.

He said: “One elderly gentlemen told me that when it gets too cold and he can’t put the heating on he goes to bed just to keep warm and he’ll sit there with layers and layers of clothes on because he just can’t afford to heat the house.

“We are facing an increase in people using our services because of the energy fuel crisis, and with winter around the corner and the changes to Universal Credit – it’s going to get busier here and that is the stark reality. We are anticipating this winter and the next few months to be much worse than the last few years.”

Mike Foster, CEO of the Energies and Utilities Alliance (EUA) warned that seven million people are already living in fuel poverty across the county and the impending price rises could have devastating effects for thousands more.

Speaking to our sister title NationalWorld, Mr Foster said: “There were 3.5 million households - approximately seven million people - living in fuel poverty before the recent rise in energy bills.

“The increase in the price cap of £150 will see an estimated 500,000 more households enter fuel poverty, and expected price increases next year could double that number.

“According to our research, two-thirds of consumers genuinely fear being able to heat their homes this winter.

“Sadly we will see people forced to make that choice between eating and heating.

“The price cap will offer some protection this winter, but that is increasingly hitting hard-pressed families who typically spend a greater share of their income on energy bills than the better-off in our communities.

“With cuts to Universal Credit also hitting the same group, it will be a miserable 2021 for many.”

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