Fuel poverty scheme in Durham rolled out across the UK
npower's Fuel Bank initiative has been trialled in County Durham since April last year and has helped over 7000 people.
An initiative which has helped over 7000 vulnerable people in County Durham keep warm will continue its life-changing work.
npower's Fuel Bank helped users of foodbanks by offering them vouchers to top up their pre-payment meters, helping them avoid choosing between 'heating and eating.'
It's the first of its kind in the North East and has been trialled in Durham since April last year.
The scheme was initially located in 13 local distribution centres, but will now be 23 centres across the country.
So far it's handed out 3100 vouchers with over 7000 people helped.
Glenn Jones, Chairman of Durham Christian Partnership, said, “This has been an innovative pilot scheme made possible by the willingness of all stakeholders to go the extra mile to make it work and it is a heart-warming example of big business working with local people to make a difference for those in crisis”. John** is being transferred to the new way of paying benefits, Universal Credit. He has been advised that he will receive his first payment in 5 weeks’ time. To bridge the gap between this and the last benefit payment he received, he has been offered a benefit advance of just over £170, but he is still waiting for this to arrive. In the meantime he has no income, so has kept the heating turned off and has been sat wrapped in a duvet to try and stay warm.
Receiving a fuel voucher means he is able to put a bit of heating on, and cook some hot meals - simple things we all do every day and often take for granted. He has worked out a budget to keep himself going on the money he will receive, paying his rent and other bills and having a small amount left for food, gas and electricity. Until then, the fuel voucher has provided an absolute lifeline.
The Durham Fuel Bank has been a trial area of the scheme, along with the Wirral, Gloucester and Kingston-upon-Thames over the last few months. Due to the success of programme in these areas, npower is today also announcing that the initiative will now be rolled out to ten new locations across the UK.