08 Feb Low-income households miss out on £50 million to help pay energy bills
It has today been revealed that one in five households with prepayment meters have missed out on government energy vouchers to help pay bills. This comes as new figures suggest a total of about 760,000 vouchers went unclaimed in October and November, with the country’s lowest-earning households disproportionately affected.
Citizens Advice estimated that 3.2 million people across Britain ran out of credit on their prepayment meter last year, meaning that families and households who fall into low affordability categories and were forced onto prepayment meters were left in the cold and dark. Mark Sait, CEO & founder of the leading sustainability and money-saving consultancy platform, SaveMoneyCutCarbon, comments on the affordability of energy and offers an overview of the government support currently available for those struggling.
“It has now become evident that the prepayment meters are not a viable option for those who fall into the low affordability category as families and people in vulnerable communities simply cannot afford to top up their meters. The public is continually at the mercy of new announcements and government support which can be confusing. What really needs to happen is for those families who have missed out to get their help without any more complications.
“However, the continued focus on supporting incomes rather than longer-term reductions in dependence on fossil fuels is something that needs to change. While support is beneficial, improving home energy efficiency and supporting low-income households both need urgent attention.
“There is debate about whether altering your everyday habits is worth the money saved and I think that the most obvious answer is yes. People needn’t make drastic changes to their daily lives to lower their demands either. The best place to start is to look at areas in your home – room-by-room – and identify where energy is being used that doesn’t need to be. In fact, if you’re not sure where to begin, people can download our SaveMoneyCutCarbon Home App which helps to identify these areas for you. For example, look at your boiler and what time it is set for, check whether there are rooms being heated that don’t need to be, or even just switch off appliances at the mains – especially during peak times in the morning or after work.”
A landmark study from SaveMoneyCutCarbon found that energy efficiency is already high on the list of British homeowner’s priorities. These findings are indicative of greener behaviours being engrained as a more conscious decision for UK consumers aided by plans outlined today:
51% agree that they want to swap all traditional light bulbs in their house for LED by the end of the year in order to reduce their energy bill
48% agree that energy efficiency is the first thing they look for when purchasing a new item for their home
45% agree the next house they buy will be energy efficient
12% agree that they have installed an electric charging point at their home ahead of purchasing an EV
