Energy Projects Plus are working with AgilityEco to offer fully funded first-time central heating to Merseyside residents.

Connected for Warmth is a new service designed to help eligible private and private rented sector households make big savings on their fuel bills.

The scheme will provide a free first-time gas connection and energy-efficient heating system to eligible fuel poor homes.

Connected for Warmth will be delivered across the entire Cadent gas distribution network, which includes the North West, Midlands, East of England and North London.

It is funded by the Warm Homes Fund, a £150 million national fund provided by National Grid and administered by Affordable Warmth Solutions. Cadent are also contributing towards the cost of the heating systems. The scheme will be administered in Merseyside by Energy Projects Plus.

To be eligible, residents need to be in receipt of qualifying benefits, or qualify under their local authority’s Eco Flex criteria.

Applicants will be asked to complete a quick survey to determine their eligibility for the scheme. If successful they will receive a free gas connection, and new gas central heating system utilising the latest energy efficient boilers.

While homeowners and tenants will pay nothing toward the scheme, private landlords will need to make a small contribution to have a system installed, should their property be eligible.

Jeremy Nesbitt, Managing Director of AWS said: “This new scheme will provide a fresh avenue out of fuel poverty for those struggling with the cost of heating their homes.”

He added: “As the temperature drops and we enter what’s projected to be a very cold winter the need for this kind of scheme has never been stronger. Connected for Warmth will be a valuable tool in the fight to ensure no one has to face the heart-breaking choice between heating and eating.”

Eligible applicants will be offered a free LEAP home energy visit from Energy Projects Plus.

LEAP is available to those in fuel poverty, low income, or vulnerable to living in a cold home. During the visit, a qualified advisor provides advice on reducing energy bills including tariff switch, referral for benefits and fuel debt advice, plus installation of energy saving measures such as LED bulbs.

In addition, fully funded boiler replacements are available to home owners with a broken gas boiler.

To find out more call Energy Projects Plus on 0800 043 0151 to speak with an advisor and arrange your LEAP home energy visit.  

To celebrate the Liverpool City Region’s Year of Environment, we’re asking you to Go Green! and switch to a green energy tariff with the Merseyside Collective Switch.

Run by local charity Energy Projects Plus, in partnership with your local authority, the Merseyside Collective Switch uses the power of the group to negotiate cheap energy tariffs, available exclusively to its members. Anyone can join and it’s completely free.

If the winning tariffs aren’t right for you, we will help you find one that is. Plus, by switching with the Merseyside Collective Switch, you will be helping to support charity Energy Projects Plus, who work with local people who are vulnerable to the cold or living in fuel poverty.

The Merseyside Collective Switch has been running since 2013. Together, we’ve helped local people save £1.5 million on their energy bills.

This year, we’re asking you to think about going green. Most of the larger suppliers now offer green tariffs, which means they use renewable energy sources such as wind power, rather than fossil fuels.

Alan Jemmett, Director, Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service said:

“Collective switching is a great opportunity for securing a greener energy supplier and giving communities an opportunity to save on bills and avoid fuel poverty.

Year of Environmental Action for the Liverpool City Region is delighted to partner this initiative. Sustainable Energy is one of our themes for 2019. By switching energy and using it wisely you can make a personal contribution to climate emergencies.

Why not, as part of YOE2019LCR pledge to switch to a sustainable energy supplier? #iwill4yoe at yoe2019lcr.org.uk”

Switching your energy tariff with the Merseyside Collective Switch is both quick and easy, and it could save you hundreds of pounds a year.

Whether you’re a savvy or reluctant switcher, it’s always worth shopping around to check if you’re on the best deal. If you haven’t switched recently you may be on your suppliers most expensive standard tariff. You may find a better deal elsewhere or even with your existing supplier.

The winning tariffs have often been the cheapest on the market. Previous winners have included Big 6 suppliers such as British Gas, E.on, SSE and EDF Energy as well as Ovo and Green Energy.
Offers have been included for prepayment meter (or pay as you go) customers as well as direct debit and pay on receipt of bill customers, so there’s something for everyone.

The Merseyside Collective Switch also includes a full market comparison, so if the winning deals aren’t right for you, you can find one that is.
The service is free, and there’s no obligation to switch if you decide not to.

Registration for this round closes on 10th October. We will then contact you to let you know about the deals that have been negotiated for the group.

To join the Collective Switch visit www.lcrenergyswitch.co.uk/join-the-switch/
or call the local Save Energy Advice Line on freephone 0800 043 0151, where you can also get other free and impartial support to help you save energy at home.

The Warm Homes Programme aims to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people by increasing their ability to afford a warm home. The programme provides face-to-face and telephone support to vulnerable residents across Liverpool City Region. It offers casework assistance to vulnerable residents needing deeper support to deal with tariff and billing issues, fuel and water debt, budgeting and income maximisation and general energy efficiency advice. It also refers to other schemes and agencies, both internal and external, sourcing help with white goods, boilers and heating and small energy efficiency measures. Area covered is within the local authority boundaries of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and the geographical boundary of Wirral.

Sustainable Seacombe, a programme that will support over 10,000 local residents in Seacombe to better afford to keep warm in their homes, launches today (17^th January) with the support of Martin Cave, Chairman of OFGEM and Philip Sellwood, CEO of Energy Saving Trust.

The programme, led by local charity Energy Projects Plus, will bring together a wide range of local partners to provide direct and practical support on how to reduce fuel bills, keep warmer at home, and access financial support to improve heating or meet the cost of unaffordable bills.

The programme is funded through OFGEM’s Voluntary Redress Fund together with funding through the Burbo Bank Extension Community Fund, Wirral Council and other programmes.

Peter Owen, Chief Executive of Energy Projects Plus, said, “We have developed Sustainable Seacombe to bring direct financial and health benefits to residents in our local community and are extremely grateful to receive the funding to enable us to deliver our 12 month programme.”

The programme is being launched at a community advice event at Seacombe Library from 2pm-4pm with a range of local organisations providing information, advice and entertainment to residents who attend.

Energy Projects Plus is proud to announce that we have won the ‘Vulnerable Customer Support Campaigner’ category at the North West Energy Efficiency Awards 2018.

It is the second year running that Energy Projects Plus have won this award at the regional level, and follows our success at the National Energy Efficiency Awards last September, where we were named ‘National Fuel Poverty Campaigner of the Year’.

The charity has supported over 8,000 vulnerable customers in the last year through various projects including LEAP, Wirral Fuel Debt Advice Service, Merseyside Collective Switch, Merseyside Health through Warmth, Warm & Healthy Homes, Warm Home Discount campaigns and the Save Energy Advice Service.

Chief Executive, Peter Owen said: “We are thrilled that the work of our charity has been recognised at these awards. We are committed to our aims of reducing fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency across our region of Merseyside and Cheshire, and are proud of our achievements in these fields”.

Peter Owen, Sandra Manning, Ellie Abernethy, Djamila Serir and Janet Hughes accepting the award from sponsor Logicor

Switching your energy tariff with the Merseyside Collective Switch is both quick and easy, and it could save you hundreds of pounds a year.

Run in partnership with your local authority, the Merseyside Collective Switch aims to negotiate the cheapest energy tariff on the market, which will only be available to its members.

Registration is now open and the winning offers will be announced after the 14^th February.

Two thirds of UK households are on their energy supplier’s standard (and often most expensive) tariff. There are savings to be made by shopping around, and you may find a better deal with your existing supplier with no disruption to your service or billing.

Delivered by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, and the six Merseyside local authorities, the Merseyside Collective Switch has saved local people over £1.3 million on their energy bills so far.

Previous winning tariffs have included Big 6 suppliers such as British Gas, E.on, SSE and EDF Energy as well as smaller suppliers such as Ovo and Green Energy.

Offers have been included for prepayment meter (or pay as you go) customers as well as direct debit and pay on receipt of bill customers, so there’s something for everyone.

The winning tariffs have often been the cheapest on the market, so better than you could get elsewhere and exclusive to members.

The Merseyside Collective Switch also includes a full market comparison, so if the winning deals aren’t right for you, you can find one that is.

Ellie Abernethy, Energy Projects Plus said: “We’re all feeling the pinch at this time of year. Switching your energy tariff is a really easy way to make big savings, especially if you haven’t switched for over a year. The Merseyside Collective Switch has a track record of securing the top offers in the market, so if it’s time for you to switch it really is worth registering to see how much you could save.”

The service is free, and there’s no obligation to switch if you decide not to.

Help and support is available from Energy Advisors who can guide you through your top offers and help you complete your switch.

It only takes 15 minutes to switch and members saved an average of £260 a year on their energy bills in our last round.

By registering, you will have access to the exclusive offers and can make sure you’re not missing out on a great deal on your energy.

Registration closes at midnight on 13^th February.

To join the Collective Switch visit www.LCRenergyswitch.co.uk or call the local Save Energy Advice Line on freephone 0800 043 0151, where you can also get free and impartial advice about saving energy at home.

An exclusive top offer has been negotiated for members of the Merseyside Collective Switch.

The winning tariff is from SSE and is a 1 year fixed tariff, with average savings of £256 a year for the average direct debit customer.

Over 16,000 people have now registered to get a better deal on their energy bills, which has led to the offer being secured.

The Merseyside Collective Switch also includes a full market comparison, so if the winning deals aren’t right for you, you can find one that is.

Help and support is also available from Energy Advisors who can guide you through your top offers and help you complete your switch.

It only takes 15 minutes to switch. The service is free, and there’s no obligation to switch if you decide not to.

Delivered by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, and the six Merseyside local authorities, the Merseyside Collective Switch has saved local people over £1.2 million on their energy bills so far.

The exclusive tariff is only available until midnight on Tuesday 14^th November, so if you have registered for this round or any of our previous rounds, don’t delay, switch today.

Mrs Jo Dowson switched in our last round. She said: “I’ve saved £450 switching through the Merseyside Collective Switch. I’m going to put the extra money towards a family holiday!”

Jo Dowson saved £450

Janice Lee-Williams from Liverpool switched in June and is due to save £329. She said: “I couldn’t believe how straightforward and stress-free the switch was. A bit of data from my last bill and a couple of clicks and it was all done. I would recommend the collective switch to anyone. It’s nowhere near as daunting as you think”.

Janice Lee-Williams saved £329

If you didn’t register in time, you can still do a full market comparison at www.energyhelpline.com/lcrcollectiveswitch, or call the Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151 for information on other support available to help reduce your energy bills.

Local charity, Energy Projects Plus, has been named National Fuel Poverty Campaigner of the Year at the 2017 National Energy Efficiency & Healthy Homes Awards, held in Birmingham.

Peter Owen, Chief Executive of the Charity said: “We are thrilled to have our local work recognised nationally by judges from central government and the private sector. It has been achieved through the dedication of our staff and partners across Merseyside and Cheshire.”

The organisation supported over 7,000 vulnerable local people last year through its various projects including The Merseyside Collective Switch, Merseyside Health Through Warmth, Warm & Healthy Homes, LEAP, Wirral Fuel Debt Advice Service and Warmth4All.

After receiving the award from Sir Lenny Henry, Dominic Griffiths of the charity said, “Our key role is to help people to afford to keep their homes warm and healthy, while reducing carbon emissions. By providing clients with detailed one-to-one advice we have saved over £500,000 on the fuel bills of hard-pressed local people this year.”

The Award Judges said: “The wide range of projects which address fuel poverty in multiple ways; through home assessments and advice; installations and access to grants; tariff switching; awareness raising of additional support, and battery storage funding, all set this application apart”.

To find out more about the valuable work delivered by Energy Projects Plus, or to apply for support for you, or someone you know, call the Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151 or visit www.epplus.org.uk

Dominic Griffiths of EPP (left) ready to accept the Award from Sir Lenny Henry