Despite tough economic times and the arrival of Arctic weather conditions, millions of Brits are missing out on free help with their energy bills because they don’t think the assistance on offer is meant for ‘people like me’, new research commissioned by the Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) has revealed today.
According to the research, published by the New Policy Institute (NPI) on behalf of the Home Heat Helpline, there are 5.2 million households across the country that could claim free insulation grants from their energy companies. But despite the fact that people could typically save £260 a year on their energy bills, only 12% have actually claimed free help.
With so many people missing out, the Home Heat Helpline, a free service to help people struggling to keep warm, commissioned the NPI think tank to research why more people aren’t claiming and what could be done to get them to do so. The NPI found that one of the biggest barriers is that while 70% of people believe you should claim help if you really need it, they don’t think the help available is intended for them.
The main findings of the poll for NPI by YouGov showed that:
- Around half (47%) of those surveyed who had not claimed thought that the assistance on offer was not meant for ‘people like me’
- Two thirds (64%) of those definitely eligible, when asked, either didn’t feel they qualified for assistance or were not sure
- Despite widespread accusations of a “claimant culture” in Britain, most people display a highly responsible attitude towards claiming, with a massive 70% saying you should only claim help if you really need it
- Surprisingly, the traditional British “stiff upper lip” is only a problem for a small minority. Only one in five (22%) say they don’t believe in asking for help and even fewer (19%) say they find it embarrassing to ask for assistance
People under the age of 70 receiving social security benefits, which includes those most in need of help, were the most likely to say they were too embarrassed to claim. A third (31%) of under 70s on benefits said they were too embarrassed, compared to 15% of over 70s
Whilst almost half (45%) of those surveyed believed that the help won’t save much money, the Home Heat Helpline is hoping that the £260 saving from household energy bills (simply by taking advantage of the free insulation available) could prove a strong incentive this winter. And as a result of these findings, the NPI and the Home Heat Helpline are urging the British public to see the aid available as an entitlement, rather than help which they need.
Christine McGourty, spokesperson for the Home Heat Helpline says: “Free help is available to people struggling to keep warm this winter, but too many are failing to claim because they don’t think the help on offer is meant for them. We need to break down those barriers so that more of us claim what we’re entitled to. The British public aren’t too proud to claim for help but they appear to think it’s only meant for people worse off than them. We want to change that perception and tell people now that the help on offer is actually for people just like themselves and could make a huge difference.”
The Home Heat Helpline has trained advisers who can help access grants for insulation, special reduced tariffs as well as advice and support on how to keep warm and save money on energy bills. Christine McGourty continues: “Millions of people are eligible for help and we’re urging everyone to consider whether they or someone they know could be eligible and to pick up the phone and call 0800 33 66 99 today”.
In the grip of another Arctic winter, Age UK is also joining the drive to get more people to call:
Mervyn Kohler, spokesperson for Age UK, says: “Far too many households struggle to keep warm during the winter, yet energy suppliers actually offer various support packages to vulnerable and older households, and the key to getting the extra support is a call to the Home Heat Helpline. The problem is that many people just don’t realise they’re absolutely entitled to this support. You may not think of yourself as being eligible, but one in five of you are, and it’s well worth a quick phone call to find out what’s on offer from the energy suppliers – for free.”
Regionally, the NPI found people living in South Wales or on the South Coast of England are the most likely to be eligible for energy help. Four of the ten local authorities with the highest number of eligible claimants are in South Wales (Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly and Neath Port Talbot) and five are coastal resorts across the South Coast of England (Torbay, Tendring, West Somerset, Thanet and Christchurch), due to the high number of elderly residents.
The report breaks down the percentage of eligible households for each local authority area in Britain, highlighting the top 10 hotspots in Britain as:
- Blaenau Gwent (33%)
- Merthyr Tydfil (32%)
- Torbay UA (31%)
- Tendring (31%)
- Neath Port Talbot (31%)
- West Somerset (31%)
- Knowsley (31%)
- Caerphilly (31%)
- Thanet (30%)
- Christchurch (30%)
ENDS
Notes to editors
For full access to the report please call Blue Rubicon on 0207 260 2700 or hhh@bluerubicon.com
The New Policy Institute (NPI) was commissioned by the Home Heat Helpline to estimate the number of vulnerable households who are eligible for free CERT home insulation grants and other free help from their energy supplier.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc, who were commissioned to undertake research on behalf of NPI into the barriers to claiming help. Total sample size was 1677 adults aged over 70 in all social groups/ adults aged 70 or younger in social grade C2DE and deal with their energy supplier. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29th October- 4th November 2010. The survey was carried out online.
Contact the media team
For press enquiries:
Abi Gibson, Senior Press Officer 020 7104 4162 abigail.gibson@energy-uk.org.uk
For campaign enquiries:
Louis Blake, Campaign Officer
020 7104 4166 louis.blake@energy-uk.org.uk
