Fenland District Council says support is available to keep your home energy efficient this winter

Booking a free ‘Warm Homes’ advice call gives you tips and advice.

Author: Iona Stewart-RichardsonPublished 3rd Dec 2021

Fenland District Council is backing a national campaign to raise awareness and highlight the support available to those who are struggling to heat their homes.

Tomorrow (Friday, 3 December) is Fuel Poverty Awareness Day. Organised by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA), the day aims to highlight the issues around fuel poverty and encourage people to seek support to help them keep safe and warm at home.

With temperatures dropping and energy bills rising, the Council, along with its partners, are reminding residents of the support and advice available to help those in fuel poverty or facing other financial worries. This includes:

Fenland District Council has teamed up with energy advice organisation PECT (Peterborough Environment City Trust) to provide free household energy advice, helping residents to make their homes warmer, more energy-efficient and cheaper to run.

By booking a free ‘Warm Homes’ advice call, residents can get:

• For more information and to book a ‘Warm Homes’ advice call, contact PECT on 0800 802 1773. Alternatively, email: warmhomes@pect.org.uk or use the online referral form at: www.pect.org.uk/projects/warmhomes

The Council is also continuing to provide a wide range of specialist advice and support through its Covid-19 Community Hub, which first launched in March last year.

It can help support anyone who may be struggling to feed their families or heat their home as a direct result of the pandemic and can provide access to Cambridgeshire County Council's Household Support Fund, which provides funding to eligible families for food, energy and water and linked essentials such as clothing, soap and blankets, other essentials such as broadband or phone bills and transport-related costs.

And in addition to providing day-to-day support for anyone self-isolating, such as access to food and prescription collections, the Hub can also refer residents directly to the Council’s dedicated Citizen’s Advice Rural Cambs advisor.

The advisor can provide free, impartial, and independent financial advice to help with a number of concerns including debts, benefits, Universal Credit claims, access to funding, pensions, employment matters and much, much more.

• Call the Hub on 01354 654321 or email: covid19@fenland.gov.uk

Cllr Samantha Hoy, Fenland District Council’s Cabinet member for Housing, said:

“Everybody deserves to live in a warm and safe home. With energy prices rising, many people may need support with how to stay warm and safe; and those who are ill or self-isolating may also have concerns about practical challenges in paying for their bills.

“Fuel Poverty Awareness Day provides a great opportunity to find out more and access the support available across Fenland.”

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