Empowering People Project
The ScottishPower Energy People Trust funded ILS to provide a fuel advice project for 3 years commencing on 1st October 2007 called the Empowering People Project.
The aim of the project was to prevent socially isolated and vulnerable adults up to 60 years old living without electricity or gas. The project was to cover the Region of Dumfries & Galloway.
This was to be accomplished by 2 strands:
1. Crisis Fuel Funding was provided for people
- starting a new tenancy
- in crisis because of a known difficult situation such as their benefits having been stopped so that they have no income or someone released from custody and the standing charge has made the meter in to a debt
- in exceptional serious situations
2. Assistance to access Utilities and Landlords for example:
- to enable service users to be responsible for registering with a fuel provider when they take up a new tenency
- to negotiate any debt payments
- to encourage service users to budget effectively so that appropriate fuel payments can be maintained
- to ensure people liaise with state benefit departments to prevent any stoppage of income
- to assist people to liaise with their landlords regarding all aspects of their tenancy
A 20 hour a week drop in centre was provided to give advice as well as support. A member of staff was recruited who had benefits knowledge. Service Users could use the free phone and computer on their own or with support. For those that lived too far away from the drop in centre, they could sign a consent form enabling the member of staff to act on their behalf.
How we did
Over the period the project saved service users over £22,000 through such things as incorrect debts being cleared (one client had £1428 cleared) or through being put on a social tariff reducing their annual bills by up to 20%.
We worked with over 400 service users many of whom had complex issues to address impacting on their ability to pay for their fuel. For example one young woman had found the courage to be free of an abusive partner but was left with an electric meter that had been 'rigged' up. The utility company installed the meter correctly and waived the fee given the circumstances.
Some Examples of Our Successes
A client was advised that she was to pay £61 per week for her electric but only lived in a one-bedroom bungalow. We investigated resulting in her bill being reduced to £30 per week, which included some towards a repayment of debt. This made a saving of £31 per week.
A client wanted a pre-payment meter for her gas installed to help her budget her money. She was advised that there would be a £250 charge as Transco did not own the meter. We explained that the client was a single parent on a very low income. The utility company agreed to waive the charge.
Some Feedback from our Service Users
At the beginning of 2010 during the particularly cold spell we provided some high tog quilts , fleece under blankets and fleece throws/blankets for some service users. Their appreciation was expressed as:
“......it’s the warmest I’ve been my bed for weeks – thank you”
“......the kids are a lot warmer watching TV so I don’t have to turn up the heating when I can’t afford it”
"Thanks, it's a god send, thank you so so much, it's nice to be surrounded by warm kindness and thoughts"
Accolades
ILS was asked by The ScottishPower Energy People Trust to represent them at a Reception held at the House of Commons on the 31st March 2009. The reception was hosted by; NEA (National Energy Action) . This is an Annual Event to promote its partnership with Government, the business community and other agencies in the voluntary and public sectors. The Rt Hon Ed Milliband MP, the then Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was one of the podium speakers. ILS along with one other project funded by ScottishPower was asked to do a presentation of their projects. This was well received by those in attendance since the presentation focused on examples of the impact on real people on very low incomes.
The ScottishPower Energy People Trust also put the Empowering People Project forward for a National Business Community Award called: Building Stronger Communities Award which is based on recognising innovative partnerships between business and the third sector which have built the resilience of community based charities, community groups or social enterprises and contributed to the regeneration of neighbourhoods.
Due to the success of the Empowering People Project ILS secured funding from Fairer Scotland to provide fuel advice to the socially isolated and vulnerable over 60s in the Region of Dumfries & Galloway for 2 years.
We are actively applying to other bodies to continue the Empowering People Project.