With winter fast approaching, Maria Miller MP is encouraging local residents in Basingstoke to call a free helpline to find out what help they may be entitled to with their energy costs.
Launched ten years ago, Home Heat Helpline is a free, impartial and confidential service offering support to anyone concerned about paying their energy bills and staying warm during winter. The help available includes grants for insulation, new boilers, discount schemes and rebate schemes; including the Warm Home Discount which provides eligible households with £140 off their electricity bill.
Maria said: "I would urge anyone in Basingstoke who is concerned about staying warm in the run up to winter to call Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 and seek advice. I would also ask people to look out for neighbours, friends or relatives who may be in difficulty and make sure that they are aware of the Home Heat Helpline and consider calling on their behalf."
Eligible people include vulnerable, low-income households. New figures show that over 450,000 people have used the services in the last decade to help them manage their energy bills and energy efficiency.
Home Heat Helpline’s Lawrence Slade said: “Winter can be an incredibly tough time for people financially, around the UK, and we are here to help. There are many out there that could benefit from our support that we haven’t yet spoken to. Even if you are not eligible yourself, you may know someone else who is. Our Home Heat Helpline is a direct and easy way for you, your neighbours, friends or family, to get the assistance needed to keep warm.”
Simple steps that you can take to reduce your energy include switching off the heating when you are out, turning appliances like TVs and phone chargers off at the wall rather than leaving them on standby when they're not being used, replacing normal light bulbs with energy efficient ones which use up to 80% less energy and moving furniture away from radiators and heaters to allow heat to circulate around the room.
For more information on the Home Heat Helpline visit www.homeheathelpline.org.uk or call Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 (0333 300 33 66 from a mobile).