WITH EDF yesterday becoming the fifth of the big six energy suppliers to announce an increase in energy prices for the winter months, the effort to help people cut their bills becomes more urgent.
This week the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) service has been leading a huge effort to help people cut their gas and electricity bills. And with 40 per cent of Scots living in fuel poverty, that’s a campaign worth fighting.
So on Monday morning I was at the Scotland Office in Edinburgh, where the Scottish Secretary and I wielded a big pair of scissors and a huge fuel bill for the cameras. The things we do for publicity! But that’s what this week’s Big Energy Saving Week campaign has been all about. Getting the message out to everyone in Scotland that there are things you can do to cut your bills.
And not just by pennies. either. Indeed. we estimate that by following the campaign’s advice many people can make dramatic savings – in some cases up to £650 a year.
Big Energy Savings Week isn’t just a CAB campaign. It emerged from the Fuel Bills Summit that was called by the UK government last year, so is supported by the government and a broad range of charities, consumer groups and even the power companies themselves.
Across Britain, more than six million children have parents who are worried about their next energy bill. Almost half of parents are cutting back on food. The situation is even worse in Scotland than in the rest of Britain. Not just because of the weather, but because of other factors like low wages, inadequate welfare benefits, and our poorly-insulated, damp housing stock.
Scandalously, fuel poverty in Scotland is actually getting worse, having risen from 32 per cent of all households in 2009 to more than 40 per cent last year.
These sort of statistics are becoming depressingly familiar. So is it all doom and gloom? Well actually, no. The whole point we’ve been making this week is that there are many simple practical steps that anyone can take that will help them save money on their energy bills.
There are quite a lot of excellent schemes available, as well as “top tips” which have been proven to help people make big savings. eg things like switching supplier and changing tariff, or getting better insulation (using government grants) to cut your energy use. Big Energy Savings Week has been about gathering all of these schemes and tips together and presenting them in one simple, easy-to-understand list.
Let’s be clear. Fuel bills are too high, and the fact that some help is available doesn’t mask that fact. We’re not complacent about the fuel poverty crisis that many families face, and we continue to campaign for strict regulation and for an energy market which protects customers from unfairly high charges.
What we are saying this week is that people need short-term help as well, to ease the pressure they are facing while we fight to secure those longer-term changes. But the campaign doesn’t end here. Everyone reading this should themselves visit our website or call our phoneline to see how much you can save.
The key tips we are recommending are simple. We are urging people to do three simple things: Check, Switch and Insulate.
Check that you are on the best deal with your current supplier, and also check whether there is a better way to pay your bills. Most suppliers offer discounts if you pay by direct debit. On average that can save you around £100 a year.
Switch to a better deal with a new supplier, particularly if you have never switched before. (You could save as much as £200 a year).
Insulate your home so you need less fuel – possibly taking advantage of government funding to do so (we reckon the average household can save up to £160 a year by improving insulation).
• Susan McPhee is head of policy at Citizens Advice Scotland To get the campaign information on how to cut your bills, visit your local CAB, go to {www.bigenergysavingweek.org.uk|www.bigenergysavingweek.org.uk|www.bigenergysavingweek.org.uk} or call 0800 512 012 (free for landlines).