Fuel poverty debt hits more Littlehampton families

Littlehampton’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is expecting to help 110 people in debt because of high fuel bills in the current year, 36 per cent more than in the same period ending April, 2011.

The figures have been highlighted as Big Energy Week (January 16-21) is about to get underway, with the same emphasis on encouraging people to make their homes more energy efficient and shop around for cheaper power suppliers.

And now the bureau, part of Arun and Chichester Citizens Advice, is even better equipped to help people, thanks to funding from the major energy companies.

The money is paying for a free Energy Best Deal service offered by the CAB and has also met the costs of training bureau staff so they can give the best advice to people on how to make their homes energy efficient, ensure they are claiming the right benefits and are on the best energy tariff to suit them.

Nationally, almost 5,500 frontline advisers have been trained, thanks to the record funding of £600,000, and it is estimated that more than 94,000 consumers have benefited from the Energy Best Deal training sessions since 2008.

Energy watchdog Ofgem is working alongside the CAB in delivering the service.

An independent evaluation in 2011 showed that 80 per cent of consumers said they would probably or definitely do something as a result of the session. Half said they would contact their current energy supplier, 40 per cent said they would look at other energy suppliers’ prices, and 38 per cent said they would tell friends and family what they had learnt.

Sarah Harrison, Ofgem’s senior partner for sustainable development, said: “This evaluation shows the value of Energy Best Deal, which is particularly critical given the recent increase in energy prices.

“Vulnerable customers need all the help they can get to get the best deal. Ofgem is pushing forward with reforms to the retail market which will make choosing a better deal easier for all consumers by removing complex tariffs. Easy-to-understand prices will help make Energy Best Deal even more effective at helping vulnerable consumers.”

Gillian Guy, chief executive of the national Citizens Advice charity, said: “Citizens Advice Bureaux are seeing a huge rise in the number of clients seeking help with fuel debts expected to soar.

“This year alone, Citizens’ Advice Bureaux have dealt with more than 100,000 enquiries about fuel debt and the Citizens Advice website has seen a 78 per cent increase in the number of people viewing our advice on this issue.

“Energy Best Deal is a vital source of information for our clients, who desperately need help to save money on their fuel costs.”

For further information about the campaign, log on to the CAB website for Energy Best Deal or call the Littlehampton CAB advice line, 0844 477 1171 or visit the Littlehampton Advice Centre, 14/16 Anchor Springs, Littlehampton.