The Council’s Home Energy Advice Service will be at events across the city in the coming months so residents can get free and impartial information and advice about a range of topics such as energy bills, energy debt, energy efficiency improvements and smart meters.
The Council is reminding all residents of the support that is available to help them with energy bills this winter following the announcement that the Energy Price Cap will rise from October.
On 27 August, Ofgem announced that the price cap will rise by 2% from 1 October, meaning the average household on a standard variable tariff will pay about £35 more per year for their energy. Residents are being urged to switch or fix their gas and electricity tariffs ahead of the price rise.
The Home Energy Advice Service can also provide energy saving freebies to reduce draughts to make homes feel more comfortable in winter, low-energy LED lightbulbs, radiator panels to keep more heat in and hot water tank jackets. The service can also be contacted via email at home.energy@derby.gov.uk.
The service can also refer residents to additional advice and support from a network of trusted partners including:
- Warmer Derby and Derbyshire
- National Energy Action
- Groundwork Five Counties Green Doctor
- YES Energy solutions
- National Energy Foundation
These partners are able to offer services such as home visits, free boiler services and gas appliance checks, pre-payment meter top-up vouchers and damp and mould advice and support.
Households are also being reminded to check if they’re eligible for the Government’s Warm Home Discount this winter. Millions of households in the UK are eligible for the £150 payment towards the cost of electricity which is automatically applied to bills.
Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability commented:
We know that residents will be anxious about the potential rise in bills over winter. Whilst energy prices have fallen from their peak in 2022, it’s still a worry for many families in the city. Our Home Energy Advice service, along with their partners are here to help you reduce bills, make your home warmer and healthier and cut carbon emissions.
Since July 2024, the service has supported over 250 households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, reduce bills and avoid over 170 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.