Following our article last month, about how we’re delivering services for residents in Halton and Sefton, via their Household Support Funds, we’re delighted to be able to update you with our funded activities in Wirral, this year:

“Direct Debit Support”

• Financial support to help residents who don’t use prepay meters, and therefore can’t take advantage of fuel vouchers designed to support people at risk of self-disconnection.
• Residents can pay by any other means, e.g. Standing Order, Budgeting Card, or cash.
• Residents must be low-income and vulnerable to the impact of living in a cold home.
• Upon successful application, a payment will be made directly to the resident’s energy supplier, to be credited to their account.
• The value of payments is the equivalent of one month’s worth of energy payments.

Fuel debt relief

• Residents must be low-income and vulnerable to the impact of living in a cold home.
• Upon successful application, a payment will be made directly to the resident’s energy supplier, to be credited to their account.
• The value of payments will either fully or partly cover the balance outstanding.
• Residents must be able to cover their ongoing energy costs.

Heating repair/replacement

• To support residents who have no other recourse to financial assistance to help with the repair or replacement of their primary heating appliance.
• Residents must be in a “no-heat situation” (i.e. without support would be living in a cold home with no means to keep warm).
• Residents must be on a low-income and vulnerable to the impacts of living in a cold home.
• Upon successful application, Energy Projects Plus will support the resident to obtain a quote for necessary works, and offer a financial contribution, which could fully or part-pay for the works to be carried out.
• All payments will be made directly to a Gas Safe Registered heating contractor, upon satisfactory completion of works.

You can refer yourself, or a client, to us for the above support items, and anything else to do with lowering energy costs, via our secure, online referral forms, here: www.epplus.org.uk/referrals

To speak directly to one of our friendly Energy Advisors, you can call our Save Energy Advice Line free on 0800 043 0151, or you can email your query to advice@epplus.org. Lines are open 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday, except for Bank Holidays.

To read the full list of services available through Wirral Council’s Household Support Fund, you can read more here: https://www.wirral.gov.uk/benefits-and-money/household-support-fund