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Cardiff Council

www.cardiff.gov.uk

Energy efficiency and fuel poverty

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Households spending more than 10% of income on fuel bills to maintain a heating regime are considered to be in fuel poverty. Whether you rent or own your home, this information could help you save money. ​

If you are struggling to pay for your gas and electricity bills or you get into debt, contact your energy supplier as soon as you can. They will work with you to agree a payment plan you can afford. 
 
There is also a wide range of local and national organisations that offer help and support:
 

Cardiff Council Money Advice

Our Money Advice Team​​​ are able to offer help and advice. You can contact them on 029 2087 1071, advicehub@cardiff.gov.uk, or by visiting a hub. Please note, access to hubs is currently by appointment only. 

Cardiff Advice Service

The Cardiff Advice Service​​​​​ (CAS) is made up of the Citizens Advice Bureau​​​ and Speakeasy Advice.​​​ The service can provide advice relating to Housing, Fuel Debt and Welfare Benefits. There are drop-in centres in 20 locations across Cardiff, and home visits can be provided where appropriate. You can find details on the various drop-in locations and opening times online, or by calling 029 2087 1016. 

The National Money Advice Service

Help to find a debt adviser in Cardiff​​​ is available online, or by calling 0800 138 7777. 


Riverside Advice Cardiff

Riverside Advice​​​ is local organisation who are able to help residents across Wales. You can contact them on 029 2034 1577. 


Care and Repair: Cardiff and The Vale

If you are aged 60 or over, Care and Re​pair​​​ may have more specific advice and help for you. You can contact them on 029 2047 3337. 

Action in Caerau and Ely (ACE)

ACE​​​ is a community developed charity owned and run by the residents of Ely and Caerau who are able to offer fuel poverty support. You can contact them on 029 2000 3132.

Warm Wales: Healthy Homes Healthy People (HHHP) Project​​​​​​​​







The HHHP team can help you access many services and support you through the referral process to gain the support you need.​

You can contact them on 0165 674 76 22, or email information@warmwales.org.uk​​​​​​​ and ask for the Healthy Homes team or complete the online self-referral form.​​​​​ ​


NEA’s Warm and Safe Homes (WASH) Advice Service


National Energy Action (NEA) Cymru’s WASH Advice Service​​​​​​​​​​​​​ provides free, confidential advice on energy bills and keeping warm and safe in your home. They can also offer support with fuel debt, switching suppliers, and accessing government help for energy efficiency improvements. For more information, contact them at WASH@nea.org.uk​​​​​​, or at 0800 304 7159.

Switching energy suppliers or tariff is one of the best ways to reduce your energy bills. You don’t need to own your home to switch, and doing so could save you hundreds of pounds a year if you are on an expensive standard variable tariff.
 

​Ofgem, the energy regulator, has advice on how to switch energy tariff or suppliers.​​​

There are many ways to reduce your energy bills, from changing your habits to getting a new efficient boiler installed at your property. These organisations can provide advice and may be able to provide funding towards home improvements:

Energy saving tips

  • ​When bulbs break, try replacing them with modern LED bulbs. These are much more efficient than traditional bulbs, and can save you money over time.
  • Switch appliances off, and don’t leave them on standby. This could save you up to £30 a year according to the Energy Saving Trust.​​​
  • Draught proofing windows and doors can help keep more heat in and save you money. 
  • Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree, and give radiators a few centimetres more space by moving your furniture slightly. This can reduce your energy usage and make sure your home is heated more efficiently, lowering bills. 
  • Get a Smart Meter. This can help you understand where you’re using the most energy, so you can cut back in the right places to make savings. They also provide far more accurate bills.
To avoid a build-up of moisture in your home that could result in mould you need to both heat and ventilate the property. Try the following options:

  • ​Produce less moisture.
    Try keeping the lids on pans when cooking, drying clothes outdoors rather than on radiators, venting your tumble dryer outside, and avoiding using paraffin heaters or bottled gas heaters. 
  • Let the moist air out and the fresh air in.
    Extractor fans are an effective way to get rid of moist air and steam so that less condensation forms. When cooking or bathing, keep the kitchen or bathroom door shut and open the window so that the steam goes outside instead. 
  • Insulate and draught-proof your home.
    Warm homes suffer less from condensation so you should make sure your house is well insulated. This means insulating your loft to the recommended depth of 270mm, and your cavity walls (if your house has them and is suitable). Your windows and external doors should be draught-proofed, and you should consider secondary glazing if your windows are draughty. 
  • Heat your home a little more.
    While you don’t want to waste money heating rooms you don’t use, very cold rooms are more likely to get damp and mould.
If you are interested in generating your own electricity or heat at home from technologies such as solar, wind, hydro, ground or air heat, then you may qualify for the Smart Export Guarantee​​​ or Renewable Heat Incentive.​​​​
Smart meters are the new generation of gas and electricity meters. 

Instead of waiting for a bill to drop through the letterbox, a smart meter can show you the amount of energy you use, as you use it. This makes it easier to spot areas in the home where you may be wasting energy so you can make changes to reduce costs.

How smart meters work


The smart meter sends your gas and electricity readings direct to your energy supplier. Smart meters are more accurate than traditional meters, so you can say goodbye to estimated bills.

Although the smart meter will replace your existing boxes, the clever technology is housed in a portable in-home display, which can sit in any room you choose. This is the unit that shows you how much energy you are using.

All in-home displays are designed to show information in a way that’s easy to understand. However, an accessible in-home display has been developed in partnership with the Royal National Institute for the Blind and includes large buttons and text-to-speech functionality. Anyone wishing to use an accessible in-home display should contact their energy supplier to find out more.


Installing a smart meter

​Getting a smart meter is easy, they are provided and installed by your energy supplier at a time that suits you.


Smart meters are provided at no extra cost, so you won’t have to pay for the equipment or the installation.


A few important things you need to consider before your installation:

  • Agree a time and date with your supplier that you can be home for the installation. An installer will never turn up unexpectedly.

  • Make sure you know where your current meters are and take steps to ensure they are accessible for the installer.

  • The installer should show you a valid identity card upon arrival, which you can ask to see if the installer does not present it upfront.

  • It takes about two hours and your energy supply will be cut off for a short period, but you will need to be present for the installation.

  • If you are having a gas meter installed, the installer will perform a visual safety check on your gas appliances.

  • Once fitted, your installer will show you how to use your in-home display as well as offering energy-saving advice.


Funding is available to private tenure households (owner-occupier and private rental) for energy efficiency measures.

You may be eligible if you have a household income less than £31k and live in an energy-inefficient home.

Cardiff Council has partnered with EON on the delivery of ECO4 LA Flex. All applications should be made via EON website​, or by phone.

Phone: 0333 202 4422

The Statement of Intent sets out Cardiff Council’s flexible eligibility criteria for ECO4 LA Flex:

Cardiff Council ECO Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent​

Please note that meeting the Council’s flexible eligibility criteria, and the issuing of a Declaration by Cardiff Council, does not guarantee the installation of measures. The final decision will lie with the Energy Supplier who will fund and deliver installations.



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© 2022 Cardiff Council