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Media

Kym Marsh calls for low income families not to suffer in the cold this winter 11 November 2009

Star reflects on her past as she launches the Home Heat Helpline winter campaign

Kym Marsh, who has experienced fuel poverty first hand, today urged people to call the Home Heat Helpline to get help on keeping warm this winter.

Keeping warm in the winter is an issue close to her heart. She revealed:

“As a single mum on benefit with two young kids I struggled to pay the bills. We lived in a damp ridden house in Wigan. I remember adding layers to the kids beds on really cold nights and quite often sat in the living room with my coat on and the lights off rather than spend the limited money I had on heating and lighting the house. Had the Home Heat Helpline been up and running I would have picked up the phone immediately!”

Anyone who is concerned about their fuel costs or those of a relative, neighbour or friend, should call the Home Heat Helpline free on 0800 33 66 99 to see if they are eligible for help.

Kym continued: “Home Heat Helpline provides a really friendly, helpful service for people in need. Anyone who thinks they might be missing out on the help they are entitled to should give them a call.”

Kym will also be touring the country with the Home Heat Helpline Roadshow between now and February to help drive awareness and encourage take up of insulation grants on offer.

With the cold winter nights upon us, vulnerable households across the country could be making big savings on their energy bills. Recent research revealed 3.6 million households across the country are missing out on energy assistance and by taking advantage of free insulation, families could slash more than £250 from their energy bills.

Drawing on personal experience Kym Marsh has worked with experts at the Home Heat Helpline on the following energy saving tips:

Simple steps to reduce your bills:

• Turn radiators down in rooms which you only use occasionally
• Switch your lights off when you’re not using them
• Turn appliances like TVs and phone chargers off at the wall rather than leaving them on standby when they’re not being used
• Replace normal light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs which use 1/5 of the electricity. They may cost a little more, but they soon pay for themselves
• Regularly defrost your freezer to make sure it’s operating at full efficiency

Staying warm:

• Draw curtains over windows at night to provide insulation for the room
• Keep outside doors shut and block up obvious draughts (including the letterbox)
• Move furniture away from radiators and heaters to allow heat to circulate around the room
• Open internal doors of any rooms which get more sun than others and let the warm air travel around your home

ENDS

For more information and to request interviews with spokespeople, please call Helen Carnall, Emmaline Damerum, Sarah Jaconelli or Matthew Burchell at Blue Rubicon on 020 7260 2700.