Inspiring change together

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.

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:

The Council understands that rising prices are still impacting residents across the borough. Many families will be struggling to afford the essentials, let alone extra activities or a lengthy uniform list. However, there is lots of support out there to help you provide food, uniforms and more for your family.

Free school meals

There are lots of families in the borough who are eligible for the free school meals scheme but are not yet benefitting from it. If you sign up now, your child can get a free meal in school, and it will help you access other support that's available.

What are the benefits of free school meals?

• You could save more than £450 a year per child
• It saves time making packed lunches
• Your child gets a healthy tasty, cooked meal
• Children achieve more when they’ve had a cooked lunch
• Schools get extra funding to help children with their education (pupil premium - up to £1,320 a year per child)

The meals are optional but signing up gives you access to other support including the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) fund. Some HAF benefits have included free meals and free activities such as swimming, crafts, sports, dance, and gardening in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.

Most recently, the Council has used the Household Support Fund to provide households with children in receipt of free school meals, vouchers for food during the school holidays.

The staff in schools do not receive information about individual circumstances so it will not set your child apart from their friends. If you sign up for free school meals but don't have the meals, you will still be helping your school receive all the funding they can to provide additional support and resources such as tutoring, music lessons, extracurricular clubs, and school trips.

If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your school.

Healthy Start

Did you know that if you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you might be eligible for support to buy healthy foods like milk or fruit, and get free vitamins, through the Healthy Start scheme? You must be claiming certain benefits to qualify. Or, if you're pregnant and under 18, you can claim even if you don't receive any benefits.

Uniforms

Lots of local schools have started uniform recycling, where families can donate uniforms they no longer need. This way, you can get your child's uniform for free and help the environment. Contact your school to see if they offer uniform recycling.

There are also lots of local organisations that recycle good quality uniforms and give them away for free.

IIf you live in Neston, you can collect recycle pre-loved uniforms for Neston High and primary schools from Parkgate and Neston URC, Moorside Lane, Parkgate, CH64 6UZ on Mondays between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

If you live in the Chester and Blacon area, KidsBank Chester can help you access free school uniforms, as well as toys, baby supplies, books, bedding, and more. You can request a referral from your midwife, health visitor, social worker or other front-line professional.

In Winsford, there is the Winsford Uniform Exchange which can be found upstairs above the Winsford Community Grocery, in the old job centre building on the High Street, on Tuesdays between 10am and 12noon and Thursdays between 5pm and 7.30pm. Check their Facebook for updates.

Read the article on Motherwell Cheshire to find out about their Community Share Hub, where you can get clothes and other essentials for your family in Winsford and Northwich.

The West Cheshire Credit Union is a local financial co-operative commissioned by the Council, working with Health and Housing groups, to deliver a saving and loan service for residents. Operating on a not-for-profit basis, they have over 4,100 active members who live, work, study or volunteer in Cheshire West, Cheshire East, or Flintshire.

The cost of living crisis means that essential goods and services are becoming more expensive than ever. Whether you are saving for something special or need help to pay for an unexpected cost, West Cheshire Credit Union aims to provide safe and affordable financial services to all members of the community.

Keep reading to find out about their most popular services.

• With the Family Loan, members can apply for up to £800 and repayments are made via Child Benefits. A portion of the benefit is used for loan repayment, with the rest being placed into your savings account or other chosen bank account. This helps residents save money while also staying out of debt. You can apply for the Family Loan (and membership) online or in branch
• The Payroll Saver helps people to put aside money from their earnings to save for big events like Christmas and family holidays. West Cheshire Credit Union is working with many high-profile companies to help people save directly from their wages. To find out if your employer is signed up, visit the Credit Union's Savings page
• The Junior Saver is a savings account for children and young people from birth to age 16. Account holders are offered 3 per cent interest on balances of up to £3,000. It also encourages children and young people to learn about money to prepare them for later life.

The West Cheshire Credit Union is regulated via the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulatory Authority, just like high street banks, so members can rest assured that their savings are safe and secure with cover of up to £85,000 provided by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.