'Warm banks' to be set up across Birmingham ahead of energy cap rise
There'll be a network across the city to provide shelter during cold weather.
Buildings like libraries, community centres and art galleries could be used for people who are struggling to heat their homes this winter.
Birmingham City Council says it's mapping out which spaces could be used for people to access services, keep warm and spend time with other people.
It comes as energy bills will rise again from October, after Ofgem raised the energy price cap.
It means the average gas and electricity bill will be £3,549 a year. The £1,578 increase on the current figure of £1,971 for the average dual-fuel tariff is a rise of 80%.
Councillor John Cotton, cabinet member for social justice, community safety and equalities at Birmingham city council, said: “Earlier this year, we topped up the government’s Household Support Fund by a further £1.3 million to help families and older people who were struggling with the cost of living.
"This undoubtedly helped people, but we know that more support is needed to help people this winter.
“Keeping warm will be a huge challenge for so many people, with the price of using domestic heating spiralling. We are going to work with partners to map out spaces across the city where people can go to keep warm.
“Whether that’s local community centres, places of worship or libraries, we want to help people to find places where they will be welcomed, free of charge. As a council we will then work with our partners across the city to identify gaps in provision and find solutions to fill them.
“It should not be the case that people cannot afford to keep their homes warm, but that is the reality that we are facing here in Birmingham. By mapping out the places where people can go to keep warm, we can help some of the most vulnerable people in our city."
Earlier this week, Friends of the Earth published new research revealing nearly 9,000 communities who will be most affected by spiralling energy costs. Birmingham ranks top, with Bradford second. Sandwell ranks fourth.
Energy crisis hotspots are neighbourhoods where energy use is high and typical household income is below the national average. In many cases, energy use is high in these neighbourhoods because homes are poorly insulated, meaning they require more energy to remain warm.