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Help with paying your household bills
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January 2008
See below for details of trusts that you can apply to for help with paying your fuel and water bills and organisations which can help reduce the amount of energy you use (for example, by helping you insulate your home).
To find out about energy saving grants and offers, visit: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/proxy/view/full/2019/grantsandofferssearch.
If you need help with completing an application form, contact your local Citizens Advice bureau - details are in your local phone book or see www.adviceguide.org.uk.
This information is available to download as a PDF at the bottom of this page.
Anglian Water Trust Fund
This trust can help people whose water is supplied by either Anglian Water or Hartlepool Water or by another water company where sewerage services are supplied by Anglian Water. These water companies are:- Cambridge Water;
- Essex and Suffolk Water; and
- Three Valleys Water.
Customers of Anglian Water or Hartlepool Water will be required to demonstrate a commitment to pay their current and ongoing bills in their application to the Trust Fund. Get an application form by calling 01733 421 021 or download one from www.awtf.org.uk.
Bristol Water
This company operates a 'restart scheme', which means that if you are in debt to them and enter into a regular payment scheme, their charitable trust may help reduce your arrears.
Apply through an adviser at your local Citizens Advice bureau or other debt advice agency. If you are unable to contact your local debt advice agency, call the Bristol Wessex Billing Services Limited Restart Team on 0800 528 3 838 to request an application form. They may arrange for one of their staff to visit you in your home to complete the form.
British Gas Energy Trust
This trust can help with arrears of domestic gas and electricity charges and/or other essential domestic bills and costs. Get an application form by calling 01733 421021 or download one from www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk.
EDF Energy Trust
This trust can help customers of EDF Energy with gas and/or electricity debt and other essential domestic bills and costs. To apply, call the Charis Grants Information Line on 01733 421 050 or see www.edfenergytrust.org.uk/contact.html.
EOS Foundation
This trust can help customers of:- Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water;
- Folkestone and Dover Water;
- Mid Kent Water;
- Portsmouth Water;
- Tendring Hundred Water; and
- South East Water.
They can help with water debts and other essential bills. You will need to fill in an application form with proof of income. Get an application form by calling 01733 421021 or download one from www.eosfoundation.org.uk.
Home Heat Helpline
For general advice about keeping warm, saving energy, cheaper payment schemes, grants for insulating your home and other services. Call 0800 33 66 99 or see www.homeheathelpline.org.
Severn Trent Water Trust Fund
This trust can help those who live in the Severn Trent Area and who are unable to meet the cost of water charges. Get an application form by calling 0121 355 77 66 or download one from www.sttf.org.uk.
Southern Water Trust Fund
People unable to meet the cost of water charges and who live in the Southern Water area can apply for help. In certain cases, the Trust can also consider giving some help to meet other essential bills, household needs or other debts. Get an application form by calling 0845 270 0897 or download one from www.swtf.org.uk.
South Staffordshire Water
This company has a trust fund for customers who are having difficulties paying their water bills. You can apply for help through your local Citizens Advice bureau or call 0845 60 70 456 and ask for an application for the Charitable Trust Fund. You must also try to show a commitment to pay £1 or more a week for 2 months. For details go to www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/households/payment_difficulties.asp.
South West Water
This company has a Special Assistance Scheme for customers who are having difficulties paying their water bills. In order to get help, you have to show that you are trying to pay the bill or that you can stick to a repayment programme. Contact your local Citizens Advice bureau for an application form.
Thames Water
This company has a Customer Assistance Fund for customers who are having difficulties paying their water bills. To be considered for help, you must be referred by your local Citizens Advice bureau or other advice centre, National Debtline (www.nationaldebtline.co.uk) or social services.
United Utilities Trust Fund
This trust helps people who cannot pay their water charges and live in the north west of England. Get an application form by calling 0845 179 1791 or download one from www.uutf.org.uk/Map.html.
Warm Front Grant (England) or Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (Wales)
These schemes can award grants to people on a low income to help with the costs of making their homes more energy efficient. Apply online at www.warmfront.co.uk or call the Warm Front Contact Centre on 0800 316 2808.
Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru
This company has a Customer Assistance Fund for customers who are having diffi culties paying their water bills. If you are able to keep to a repayment plan for 6 months, the fund can pay half of your water arrears. After another 6 months' payments, the rest of the arrears will be paid. To be considered for help, you must be referred by a money adviser at your local Citizens Advice bureau.
Wessex Water
This company operates a 'restart scheme', which means if you are in debt to them and enter into a regular payment scheme they may help reduce your arrears. Apply through an adviser at your local Citizens Advice bureau or other debt advice agency. If you are unable to contact your local debt advice agency, call Bristol Wessex Billing Services Limited Restart Team on 0800 528 3 838 to request an application form. They may arrange for one of their staff to visit you in your home to complete the form.
Yorkshire Water Community Trust
This trust can help customers who cannot pay arrears of water charges that are no more than two years old and less than £1,000. You must have at least one other priority debt as well as water charge arrears. Priority debts include rent, mortgage, council tax, gas and electricity. To request an application form call 0845 1 24 24 26 or email info@ywct.org.uk.
Mayor of London insulation scheme
Everyone in Greater London, regardless of which company supplies your energy, is entitled to apply for discounts on cavity wall and loft insulation and £100 cashback once you have insulated your home. If you are on certain benefits you may be entitled to free insulation. Call 0845 070 5059 and quote 'web GLA' or go to www.london.gov.uk/insulate.
Vulnerable user scheme for people with water meters
This scheme is for metered households with a higher than average need for water because of a large family or a medical condition. If this applies to you and you are on a low income, you will only pay the average bill that the water company charges overall so if you use a lot of water then your bill will go down. To qualify for help someone in the household must be on one of the following benefits:- Income Support;
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
- Pension Credit;
- Working Tax Credit;
- Child Tax Credit (except families who receive the family element of Child Tax Credit only);
- Housing Benefit; or
- Council Tax Benefit; and
- there are three or more children under 19 in the household; or
- someone in the household has a medical condition that means extra water use such as:
- flaky skin disease
- weeping skin disease, i.e. eczema, psoriasis, varicose ulcers
- incontinence
- abdominal stomas
- renal failure (unless the health authority already helps with water costs)
- Crohn's disease
- ulcerative colitis.
If you have a medical condition that is not listed above, you can still qualify if you use large amounts of water. You will need a doctor's certificate as proof. You can get an application form from your water company and you will need to re-apply each year.
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