Water

Every water company in the UK has to offer discounts to people on a low income or with an illness or disability that means you need to use more water. Needing to wash your clothes more often due to incontinence is an example of this.

Contact your water company to ask about a discount. Also, if you are behind with your water, most water suppliers offer grants and schemes to help you pay off your debts.

Fuel

If you have myasthenia, you may wish to consider signing up to the Priority Services Register. This means that your supplier will give your calls priority if there’s a problem, for example a power cut, and will help you reconnect your supply. They will also do things like move your meter if it is hard to access. Most fuel suppliers also share this information with water companies so that they will also prioritise you in case of any problems. Sign up by contacting your energy company or by visiting the Priority Services Register.

If you are on means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit or Universal Credit, you may be eligible for help with fuel costs via the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment. If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible, please contact our Welfare Service at: [email protected] or telephone us on 01332 290 219. Our Welfare Officer can also carry out a benefit check to see if you are missing out on any benefits.

If you can’t afford to top up your prepayment meter, your Local Authority may be able to help you with a fuel voucher. You’ll get the voucher as a code in a letter, text message or email, which you can use to add credit to your gas card or electricity key.

Find your Local Authority.

Your local Citizens Advice service may also be able to give you a fuel voucher, no matter how you pay for fuel.

Citizens Advice

If you are behind with your fuel bills, contact your supplier for help. They must help you come to a solution. If you don’t contact them, they’re more likely to threaten to cut you off.

Some fuel companies offer grants to help you clear your energy debts:

If you’re in debt to your energy supplier, you might be able to get a grant to help pay it off.

The following energy companies offer grants to their customers:

• British Gas Energy Support Fund - apply for a grant on the British Gas Energy Trust website. Please note that you do not have to be a British Gas customer to apply.
• Scottish Power Hardship Fund - apply for a grant on the Scottish Power Hardship Fund website
• Ovo Customer Support Package - apply for help on the Ovo Energy Fund website
• E.ON Next Energy Fund - apply for a grant on the E.ON Next Energy Fund website
• EDF Energy Customer Support Fund - sign up to the priority services register to apply for a grant on the EDF Energy website
• Octopus ‘Octo Assist Fund’ - apply for a grant on the Octopus website

If your supplier isn’t listed above, you can contact them directly to ask what support they offer. Please get in touch with us if you’re struggling or need help with a grant application.

Council Tax

If you are struggling to pay your Council Tax, there may be benefits, discounts or discretionary help you could access. Lots of people do not claim support with paying Council Tax because they do not know they are entitled!

Contact our Welfare Service at: [email protected] or telephone us on 01332 290 219 to find out if you are eligible for any help paying your Council Tax. 

Television licence

You can get 50% off the cost of your TV licence if either:

• you’re registered blind or severely sight impaired
• you live with someone who is registered blind or severely sight impaired

If the person who is registered blind is not the current licence holder for your address, you’ll need to transfer the licence to their name.

Contact TV Licensing online or telephone them on: 0300 790 6076.