Keep warm this winter with help from Citizens Advice Rhondda Cynon Taff adviser team of experts

THE CHARITY IS RUNNING THE WARMER WALES INITIATIVE WHICH SEES ADVISERS PROVIDING INDIVIDUALLY-TAILORED SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS LIKE DEBT AND UNAFFORDABLE ENERGY BILLS

CITIZENS Advice Rhondda Cynon Taff adviser Gerald Davies has his own benchmark when he comes to helping people with their energy needs.

“The aim when someone metaphorically walks through my door is that they walk out of my door in a better position than when they walked in,” he said. “It is as basic as that.”

Mr Davies is part of the Citizens Advice network which does everything it can to improve the lives of people through the Warmer Wales initiative.

Funded through the British Gas Energy Trust, it sees specialist energy advisers from 14 offices across Wales deliver in-depth advice sessions on a range of issues, including securing the best possible energy deal and related home improvements, maximising income and managing debt.

“We are advisers, we are professionals, we are proactive,” said Mr Davies, who is regional energy lead officer for south-east Wales. “We take our jobs very seriously for the benefit of the general public and that is my little benchmark.”

“If you walk out better than when you walked in, I have improved your circumstances. That could even be giving you information so you can make an informed choice, for example, if you switch to this supplier, you will save £75 a year. You are empowering people.”

Energy advice expert William Jones from Citizens Advice Ceredigion.

WARMER WALES GIVES TARGETED SUPPORT

The pandemic may have caused Mr Davies to refer metaphorically walking through his door as access to offices is limited, but help is very much available by telephone and online.

Citizens Advice Rhondda Cynon Taff adviser is keen to hear from anyone who needs expert guidance to make their lives better. Its dedicated advisers offer free, confidential, independent advice and can support people with all their advice needs remotely during the Covid pandemic, over the phone or digitally if a face-to-face appointment isn’t possible.

Often it is a case of a client not knowing what support is available, and that knowledge is there in abundance through the team of experienced advisers. One of the priorities are fuel-poor ‘hard-to-reach’ households, especially those whose cold homes may make them vulnerable to ill-health or who are facing unaffordable energy bills.

The initiative can benefit householders through:

• Information to increase energy efficiency awareness and related home improvements

• Reduced bills with access to cheaper rates and national, local and small emergency funds, including fuel vouchers.

• Improving budgeting

• Managing debts

• Maximising income through benefit checks and charitable support

Individuals can also benefit from solutions involving landlords, healthcare and community workers, and NEST, the Welsh Government’s warm homes scheme.

THE MAN WHO HAD NO GAS SUPPLY FOR EIGHT YEARS

Mr Davies (pictured above) said he had recently closed a case from a client who had been without gas for the last eight years because of what is called an erroneous transfer, one he hadn’t consented to.

“The client’s gas supply was transferred without their consent, as a result of a simple mix up between the property numbers,” he said. “When they became aware of the problem, they tried to sort it out, but could make no progress. They were then too frightened to use their gas, for fear of running up more debt. They had no gas supply for about eight years.”

“It took us six months of really intensive work, but now he is back on supply. We were able to access him benefits and grants. We were able to make an application to write off the arrears and now he is with his supplier of choice and can now manage his supply going forward. But he literally had no gas supply for eight years, and that had an impact on his mental and physical health.”

Mr Davies is delighted that the fuel voucher scheme has been extended in the Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend counties until January 19 next year. All help is welcomed in what is a challenging time like no other.

“We are going to have the mother of all winters,” he said. “We have got the excess winter deaths every year, the cold and we are going to have Covid on top, so it is going to be a really, really challenging time. I have seen a massive rise in energy advice cases coming in already. There are people in really difficult circumstances.”

William Jones (pictured above) is an energy advice supervisor with Ceredigion Citizens Advice.

He said: “We help people save money on their bills. We also often, as well, help people apply for grants to clear or partially clear any energy debts. Recently I helped a very vulnerable person get a grant for £2,300 to clear a debt.”

Gerald Davies from Citizens Advice Rhondda Cynon Taff, providing energy advice from home during during the Coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s hugely satisfying to be able to work with all our clients.

It is great to help them to maximise their income. I have a very elderly client living in really difficult circumstances, in a cold home she couldn’t afford to heat, and I have managed to massively increase her income.”

“By doing that, she can now heat her home to the temperature that she needs to, and it has greatly increased the quality of her life. Just how grateful our clients are is really heart-warming. It is so satisfying being able to help people to get better outcomes in their life, to improve their sense of well-being.”

MAKING THE COLD GO AWAY

Mr Jones highlighted what winter meant for some people he had helped along the way.

“It is miserable living in the cold, if you can’t heat your home, if you are sitting there cold with a blanket over you,” he said. “Quite of lot of people with pre-payment meters will self-disconnect. They can’t afford to top up, so they are just sitting there sometimes for a few days on end, really miserable.”

“Giving fuel vouchers makes a massive difference. You speak to people on the phone and they are virtually in tears. By the end of the conversation, having gone through the process, you can give them this voucher and they know that they are going to have heat that night, and be able to feed their kids, whatever it is going to be.”

Mr Jones said that many people were entitled to non-means tested benefits, particularly disability benefits, but had never applied because they didn’t know about them. And the pandemic means that more people are falling into difficulties, resulting in benefit claims like universal credit.

“Lots of people have had their circumstances dramatically squeezed,” he said. “People’s incomes have been reduced. And also what we have seen during the pandemic is young mums at home with their kids and they are having to spend way more money on energy and food than they would have done because their kids are home all the time. Budgeting has become a real problem for them.”

GET IN CONTACT TO EASE THOSE WINTER PROBLEMS

You are not alone, is the message from Mr Jones and his colleagues.

“I think the crucial thing to stress is, notwithstanding all the logistical difficulties with matters at the moment, our service is open and we are helping a lot of people to get good outcomes,” he said “We are still able to advise people in a very timely manner, and comprehensively. We are definitely open for business.”

Call the Citizens Advice Rhondda Cynon Taff adviser through freephone number Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on 0800 702 2020 or by textphone: 18001 0800 144 8884, or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ wales/warmer-wales for access to local energy advisers.