A Suffolk organisation has been given a grant to employ and train an energy adviser to help prevent people with disabilities on the Shotley peninsula falling into fuel poverty. 

Ipswich Disabled Advice Bureau (DAB) has been awarded £14,000 under the Power Partners scheme run by UK Power Networks, which distributes electricity supplies to more than eight million homes and businesses across the East of England, London and the South East.

Bureau manager, Pat Ramsey said the charity has employed the adviser so they can give in depth help to clients including those on Universal Credit whose extra £20 payments have ended and are now facing increasing energy bills. The problem is often due to mounting costs or because they have been transferred to a more expensive energy supplier after theirs ceased trading.

Ipswich DAB works with people of all ages with all types of disabilities including chronic long term health conditions, mental health issues and learning disabilities. It covers the wider Ipswich area and also assists clients in the more rural areas of south east Suffolk, between Shotley and Hadleigh.

UKPN serving Shotley peninsula

Pat said: "Our clients have disabilities and most are unable to do even part-time work.  Many need a warmer environment due to their disabilities and use more energy, both electricity and gas, as a result. 

"In addition, many do not have English as their first language, are asylum seekers, refugees or ex-offenders, have had a big lifestyle change or can be struggling because they are having to manage energy use in a different way, for example in social housing.

"The project will also take account of the fact that some households may already have debts as people who have been shielding, and still are, have used more energy in their homes due to Covid-19 as day centres have been closed and they have not been able to spend time visiting their friends and families."

The high level of clinical vulnerability of staff, volunteers and clients means, initially, the energy adviser will provide services on a one-to-one basis by phone, email and some video links, working from home rather than face-to-face. 

Power Partners was launched by UK Power Networks in 2019 to help local communities' energy needs and refocused to respond to fuel poverty.

Since the fund was launched 52 groups have received funding for each for their projects. Almost £1 million has been granted in the past three years and been used to advise people how to reduce energy bills and help organisations make community spaces more energy efficient through insulation, heating or lighting upgrades.

Giulia Privitera, social sustainability strategy and programme manager for UK Power Networks, said: "There are many people currently experiencing fuel poverty whose situation has been made worse by the pandemic, increased energy price cap and the cost of living crisis.

"Many are facing real financial difficulties keeping hard-to heat homes warm, so we focused this round of Power Partners on targeted support to tackle fuel poverty through the community charities and organisations who can provide it in the most innovative way. We aim to reach as many people as possible living in vulnerable circumstances, on low income and in low energy efficiency properties.

"We work hard with our partners to improve our fuel poverty programme each year to maximise its impact on hard-to-reach communities. We look at what has changed for our customers so that we can continue to adapt and make a real, long-lasting difference to people's lives."

Power Partners is administered in partnership with leading energy justice charity the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE).  

Grant helps people with disabilities fight fuel poverty