Category Heating and energy   Show all

• Latest news on the government’s Household Support Fund

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  The government’s Household Support Fund is there to support households in the most need, especially with energy costs, food, water bills and other related essential items.

  The current round of funding is open until 30 September 2024 and is available to a broad range of low-income households across the borough, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people.
  
  If you fall into one of these categories and haven’t already received support through the Household Support Fund since April 2024, we are now accepting further applications for remaining funding.
  
  To find out if you’re eligible to apply for a one off payment of £50, visit:
  http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/household-support-fund

  For families of children in receipt of free school meals the usual £15 food voucher, per week, per pupil, will be issued by the school for the 6-week summer break period.

  There is currently no confirmation from government that the Household Support Fund will be continuing beyond 30 September 2024.
  
  Additional support and advice is available for anyone who is struggling to pay their bills, requires debt advice or who’s health has been affected by the rising cost of living.
  http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/cost-of-living
  

• Firefighters urge people to stay warm but safe

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  Cheshire firefighters are offering advice on how to stay safe when trying to keep warm this winter.

  To reduce costs, many people will be looking for alternative ways to heat their homes - opening themselves up to dangers and greater risk of fire in the home.

  Please follow the advice to stay safe.

  • If you have a log burner or solid fuel fire, make sure you get your chimney swept regularly so there's no build up inside and the space is free from bird nesting materials. Stack logs by the side of a fire and use a fireguard where possible to prevent embers falling out.

  • Make sure candles are secured in a holder and away from materials that may catch fire – like curtains. Never leave candles unattended around pets and children. Always put them out before you go to bed.

  • When using a wheat bag, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and ensure it is not heated in a microwave for too long, or at too high a temperature.
    
    
  • Camping stoves and barbecues should never be used indoors.
    
    
  • Install a smoke alarm on every floor of your home and regularly test and maintain them – smoke alarms save lives.

  Sitting room temperatures are recommended to be kept at 21°C and bedrooms should be 18°C. If you’re feeling the chill, use a blanket or layer your clothing to trap heat better.

  For more information and advice about staying safe and preventing fire, visit: cheshirefire.gov.uk/keepingwarm
  

• Citizens Advice Cheshire West - energy advice services

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  Citizens Advice has a dedicated energy team offering a range of services designed to help residents in Cheshire West with the ongoing energy crisis.
  
  Their aim is to help those already in fuel poverty and to stop others from falling into fuel poverty. The energy project looks to help residents achieve affordable warmth by improving energy efficiency, increasing income, and providing energy advice.

  Free energy advice appointments are available. Providing tips on how to reduce consumption and cut energy costs as well as signposting residents to available grants and schemes to help them maximise their income.

  Free energy advice workshops are available to community groups, consumers and volunteers, at their place of work or venue. Here you will receive helpful energy advice and there will be leaflets and other materials to take away with you. These are delivered as energy talks directly to consumers at meetings or as drop-ins / pop-ups.
  
  Free training presentations can be delivered to organisations who have officers or volunteers that work directly with residents who are either facing or in fuel poverty. These interactive training sessions include topics and information that can be used to help front line workers provide help and advice to others.
  
  To find out more about energy advice services on offer from Citizens Advice Cheshire West, or to book an appointment or workshop, visit:
  www.citizensadvicecw.org.uk

  Alternatively, you can email the energy team, at:
  energy-advice@citizensadvicecw.org.uk

• New app available to help you save money on your energy bills

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  The Council has teamed up with the Energy Saving Trust to bring you an app that will give you advice on how to use less energy in your home and save money.

  The app which is available to download from both Apple and android app stores is simple and easy to use.

  It takes you on a journey of a typical home. Simply click on the different rooms within the home, such as a bedroom or kitchen and you will be prompted to answer yes or no to certain questions relating to electrical items within that room – things such as ‘Do you turn off lights every time you leave a room?’. If the answer is No, then it will tell you what potential financial saving you could make if you change what you currently do.

  Did you know:
  • that by turning lights off when you don’t need them you will save around £25 a year on your energy bill

  • if you line dry your clothes in the summer months instead of using a tumble dryer you could save £60 each year

  • if you replace your showerhead with a water efficient one it can save you around £35 off your yearly gas bill.

  Once you have completed your tour of the rooms in the house, the app will tell you the total potential saving you could make by making a few minor changes. You can also ask for a report that shows you where you could save energy and money.
  
  Not only will the suggested energy saving measures help to save you money, you will also be playing your part to reduce your household carbon emissions which in turn supports the borough’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2045.

  Download the app today by searching CWAC: Energy Advice Tool and start saving money as well as protecting the planet.

• Live Well Cheshire West

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  If you're looking for support in your local area, look no further than Live Well. Live Well Cheshire West is a website produced by the Council, working with the NHS. It can help you find information about local services, support, activities, and events for everyone across a broad range of subjects including social care, health and wellbeing, education, employment, support for carers and much more.

  Visit the Live Well page and put in your postcode or area, along with the type of support you are looking for, to find services near you. You can also filter the results by all sorts of different requirements like whether the service can cater to dietary requirements, or whether they are open before or after school times. Live Well offers support to people of all ages, including children and families.

  Live Well Cheshire West

  Money Matters

  There is a dedicated Money Matters section which can show you support for bills, budgeting, debt, benefits, and more. For example, if you live in rural Cheshire and are worried about affording hot meals for yourself or your family, you could visit Malpas Community Kitchen on a Wednesday lunchtime and enjoy a hot meal for free, no referral needed.

  Live Well Cheshire West: Malpas Community Kitchen

  
  

  If you are struggling to pay your bills as the cost of living rises, you may be eligible for benefits that you are not yet claiming. Live Well can direct you to this A-Z list of welfare benefits and grants, made by Turn2Us.

  turn2us: Your Situation A-Z

  
  

  You might need a new fridge or washing machine but not be able to afford a large sum right now. On Live Well, you can see a whole list of organisations that provide white goods and furniture at affordable prices. Changing Lives Together offer new and reused furniture for low prices, as well as many other services like distributing food that would otherwise have gone to waste, connecting socially isolated members of the community, and providing a community bus service to help residents get around.

  Changing Lives Together: What we do

  
  

  Watch this short video which shows you how to find the information you're looking for on Live Well Cheshire West.

  If you know anyone who is not online, Live Well can be accessed at any local Cheshire West and Chester Council library. Staff at the library can help people get online and find services to improve their computer skills.

• Save money with a simple boiler hack

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  Do you own a combi boiler? By turning down your boiler flow temperature to 60 degrees Celsius or below, you could save £112 a year. It is best to seek professional advice before adjusting your boiler. You can ask to have it done with your boiler's annual service.

  Turning down your boiler flow temperature could also reduce your household's annual carbon emissions by 173kg. This equates to 429 miles driven by the average vehicle.

  Many combi boilers in the UK burn more gas, generate more carbon emissions and cost more in energy bills than they need to. Nesta, a charity working on innovations for social good, states that the average household has their boiler flow temperature set at 80 degrees. However, they found that by reducing this to 60 degrees it can cut gas use by around 12 per cent and in tests only made the warm-up time around 10 minutes longer.

  Since October 2022, when Nesta launched the Money Saving Boiler Challenge, over 180,000 people have adjusted their boiler flow temperature, saving a total £20m on energy bills and 31,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

  Getting your combi boiler flow temperature adjusted is easy, free, and one of the best ways to cut energy bills. Find out more on Nesta's website, but please take care when adjusting boiler settings - consult a professional first.

  Money Saving Boiler Challenge

  
  

  More money saving tips from Nesta

  1. Turn down the temperature on your radiators to the mid-point on the dial. By reducing the setting on radiators outside the living room, such as in bedrooms and non-living areas, your household could save £68 a year.
  2. Turn down the hot water temperature on combi boilers to 42°C. Turning down the hot water temperature for taps and showers on a combi boiler could save a typical household £26, or 2 per cent off their gas bill, per year.
  3. Reduce your hot water cylinder temperature to 60°C. Homes that have heating systems with a separate hot water cylinder can turn down the temperature of the cylinder itself so that you aren’t heating water unnecessarily. Setting your hot water cylinder to 60°C could cut 2 per cent off a household's gas use, or £26 off a typical gas bill, each year.

  You can find more energy saving tips on the Money Saving Expert website:

  Money Saving Expert: Energy saving tips - checklist to save £100s