Gordon struggled to heat his flat during the big freeze
I am pleased to report a letter from Selgin Services containing a cheque for £300, a partial refund of the amount paid to have our boiler repaired. Gordon Kennedy was so cold this winter he had to sell or pawn personal items to heat his house.
Gordon, 46, lives in a one-bedroom flat in Perth and has a pre-pay power meter. But because the weather was so severe he was using a lot more electricity than usual.
Last September he had applied for a warm home discount for electricity from his supplier British Gas.
This is a one-off voucher worth £140 that can go towards your electricity bill.
It is not paid directly to you – instead, it is paid to your energy supplier to give you a discount.
The voucher applies between September and March and can also be used towards a gas bill if you have the same supplier for both gas and electricity.
There are two ways you become eligible for the payment: if you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, or if you’re on low income and meet your supplier’s criteria.
By January, Gordon, who is on a disability benefit, had still had not received the vouchers – which are required to be paid out by energy suppliers by the end of this month.
“This may be fine for people who pay monthly or quarterly by direct debit to get a credit at the end of the winter period,” Gordon said.
“But for people like me who are on pre-payment meters, we are generally the last to receive it.
“The scheme is devised to help vulnerable customers through the coldest months of the year, before the cold weather and not after it.
“I had to sell or pawn stuff over the winter because I couldn’t afford the electricity.”
In frustration Gordon contacted the Raw Deal team and we asked British Gas to investigate.
As a result, he soon received the warm home discount vouchers he was due.
“I can’t thank Raw Deal enough,” he said. “I have £140 on my meter to get me through any more cold times that could be on the way.”