Energy vouchers will now be handed out to food bank users
It has been announced in the news today that energy vouchers will now be handed out to people who are using food banks. I can only imagine how beneficial this will be to so many people. The scheme already ran in a selected number of food banks, however, it is now being rolled out in even more of the stores.
It is intended to ensure that even less people will have to choose between heating and eating.
The three-month trial ran in Durham, Kingston on Thames, Gloucester and the Wirral in April last year. The success will see it being rolled to these additional areas:
- Brent Foodbank
- Kingfisher Foodbank (Castle Bromwich)
- Birmingham (B30 Foodbank)
- Smethwick Foodbank
- Sheffield S6 Foodbank
- Hull Foodbank
- Hastings Foodbank
- G52 Community Group, Glossop, Glasgow
- South East Foodbank
- Cardiff Foodbank.
If you are using pre-payment metres and have been referred to a food bank then you will be eligible.
Here are my top 5 tips for saving money on your central heating:
1. Cavity wall insulations can be done for free if you qualify, not all houses can have this done as not all of them have cavities to fill but it’s a great way of saving that heat.
2. Draft excluders, These can be bought cheaply or made even easier with any old material, old trousers are a great one as they are the right size and shape all you have to do is stuff them with old clothes or filler and sew up the ends. They keep the wind from blowing through the nooks and crannies and will hold the heat in.
3. Close the curtains, it’s shocking how much heat goes out through the windows, even with double glazing you can save some money by closing the curtains earlier.
4. Use the timer. Most heating systems come with a timer so you can get the heating to come on about half an hour before you get up or home but will also shut it off during the day if you forget and saves having the heat wasted during the day.
5. Tog up, the heating doesn’t need to be on at night if you have the right duvet, different togs can be used for different times of year 13.5 is a great one for winter and will keep you toasty.
