Home and energy costs

Surrey County Council have created a directory of financial and social support which explains the schemes that they have on offer for residents of Surrey: 

Surrey County Council directory of support

The Safe and Warm Grant is a discretionary grant which in certain circumstances can be given to you to pay for small, but essential, works to improve the energy efficiency or safety in your home. The grant is available for works to dwelling houses, flats and mobile homes.  

You may be eligible if you receive income related benefits such as Universal credit, Income support, Housing benefit and many more. 

To find out if you’re eligible and to apply for the Safe and Warm Grant visit: Waverley Borough Council - Safe and warm grant 

The Fuel Bank Foundation provides emergency financial support and advice to households with a prepayment meter that are in fuel crisis and at risk of living without heat this winter. 

To access their assistance visit: Home | Fuel Bank Foundation  

To help you understand and manage your energy use. Providing tailored options to help with reducing energy use, finding free or part funded schemes to make your home more energy efficient and signposting you to debt relief grants. The tool will be available at surreycc.gov.uk/welfare 

Grant funding of up to £20,000 or up to 40% of eligible costs is available to implement energy efficiency measures and reduce energy costs and your carbon footprint for your small or medium-sized businesses and charities. Visit: LoCASE | Low Carbon Across the South and East or email lowcarbon@surreycc.gov.uk to apply.  

Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Some providers call them ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband. 

They’re delivered in the same way as normal packages, just at a lower price. Amid rising living costs, Ofcom is encouraging companies to offer social tariffs to help customers on low incomes. 

Take a look at a list of available tariffs. 

If you don't have access to the internet at home, Surrey libraries have public computers with free internet access.

If you use an oxygen concentrator at home, you can get money back for the electricity it uses. 

The company that supplies your concentrator can make payments to your bank account. 

To claim, contact:

• Dolby Vivisol Home Respiratory Care on freephone 0800 917 9840
• BOC Home Oxygen Service on freephone 0800 136 6030
• Air Liquide Healthcare on freephone 0800 781 9939
• Baywater Healthcare on freephone 0800 373 580

Ofgem are the energy regulator who also provide a range of information and advice.

Find out where to get help if you can’t afford your energy bills by visiting: Help with high energy bills – Ofgem website

You can also apply for benefits or schemes that could help heat your home and cut your energy costs by visiting: Save energy and reduce your bills; schemes and grants – Ofgem website

Affordable Warmth Solutions is a Community Interest Company that assists qualifying homes in the most deprived areas in England by offering: 

• New gas connections
• Air source heat pumps
• Financial support for heating
• Advice on how to save money

To see if they can help you with your energy bills visit: Welcome to Affordable Warmth Solutions » Affordable Warmth Solutions

The government has announced a new scheme of support if you use alternative fuels (including heating oil) to heat your home, instead of mains gas or electricity.

Help with your energy bills if you use alternative fuels for heating (GOV.UK)

The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) is providing support of £400 for energy bills for households in England, Scotland, and Wales without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier.

This support is provided by His Majesty’s Government and is delivered by local authorities.

The scheme is now open to all eligible households across Great Britain until 31 May 2023.

All applications need to be made directly to central government via GOV.UK and not via Waverley Borough Council.

Eligibility

Subject to applications meeting the eligibility criteria, people who will be able to receive support under EBSS AF include:

• Care home residents and others in care facilities/sheltered accommodation (wholly or partly self-funded)
• Park home residents, houseboats and caravans that can provide proof of address
• Social and private tenants who pay for energy through a landlord on a commercial supply
• Homes on a heat network/private wire
• Off-grid homes
• Farmhouses used for wholly domestic purposes

How to apply

If you are eligible for EBSS AF, you will need to fill out a short online form via the GOV.UK website. This form can be found by searching “Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically” into the search bar on GOV.UK or an internet search engine.

Applications are made directly to His Majesty’s Government, not to or via local authorities.

If you do not have online access, you can apply via a contact centre on 0808 175 3287, where a representative will guide you through the application process.

Next steps

Once you have applied, your application will be processed and verified. After this, if your application is successful, your details will be shared with local authorities, who will deliver the one-off, non-repayable support. The payment will be made directly into your bank account in a single instalment.

Further information can be found on GOV.UK