Severn Wye Energy Agency has received £1.4 million of funding to identify and help at risk communities in fuel poverty across Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Powys and Herefordshire.
Through the two-year project, Severn Wye will work with existing, and new, partners to target support to refugee and asylum seekers and houseboat, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities across the region. Working with trusted community partners the funding will provide a range of energy advice including no- and low-cost interventions, support with managing fuel debt, carbon monoxide advice, liaising with energy suppliers and support with Priority Service Registration. Its community-based advisers will also provide training and advice on possible behaviour changes around energy use and efficiency and signposting individuals to other sources of energy-related funding.
Jacqui Harris, Communities Manager at Severn Wye said:
This project is designed to reach those who may be slipping through the net of conventional support. We know how the pandemic highlighted the issues surrounding fuel poverty, particularly around the inaccessibility of some services. And, with figures showing that ethnic minority households are 50 per cent more likely to be in fuel poverty than white households, this project is designed to get into the heart of these ‘at need’ communities.
This project will work with, and in, local communities to support the most vulnerable households through the energy crisis, working to reduce the risks and impact of fuel poverty and improve their quality of life and wellbeing. It will specifically target those pockets of communities that have additional barriers, when it comes to engaging with the energy system, and are especially vulnerable to fuel poverty.
Gas Distribution Network, Wales & West Utilities, will lead on the project, whilst Cadent will partner. The £1.4 million funding has been provided as part of the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA).
Severn Wye will engage with communities in their own spaces, tailoring support to their needs. Materials will be disseminated in multiple languages, whilst interpreters will be utilised to empower individuals through home visits, advice sessions and events.
Jacqui continued:
We expect the project to reach approximately 4,600 vulnerable households through a range of initiatives from school visits, drop-in sessions, disseminating information and tailored home visits.
We will also provide third sector front line staff with the information and knowledge to support these at-risk groups to help them take control of their energy and improve their quality of life.
Severn Wye supports people to take control of their energy use by helping them understand their energy consumption, save energy at home, communicate with their energy providers, and access grants and other support to better manage their bills.
Sophie Shorney, VCMA Manager at Wales & West Utilities, said:
We are delighted to provide this funding which will allow Severn Wye to get into the heart of communities across Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Powys and Herefordshire and provide this vital support.
Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for us and this project will allow Severn Wye, and its partners, to provide information on the Priority Services Register, alongside raising awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide.
The VCMA fund allows us to work in partnership with organisations, like Severn Wye, to reach more people and provide them with the help they need to ensure they receive the right support and help with their bills, to help keep them safe and warm in their own environment.
Carbon monoxide, is known as the ‘silent killer’ because you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It kills 50 people a year in England and Wales and hospitalises many more. In the UK, there are more than 4,000 visits to Accident and Emergency for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning – which can often lead to lasting neurological damage. Even low levels of exposure over an extended period can cause serious health issues, including brain injuries.
Between April 2021 to March 2026, Wales & West Utilities has £25m to spend on projects which support consumers in vulnerable situations and raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide and keep people safe from the ‘silent killer’.
Funding is distributed through the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA), and 75% of the money will be spent on projects relevant to Wales and south west England only, while 25% will be spent on collaborative projects with the other gas networks across the whole of the UK.
If you have a project that you think Wales & West Utilities could support, either individually or collaboratively with other gas networks, then contact Wales & West Utilities at VCMA@wwutilities.co.uk.
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.