UPDATE on Water discounts !

Richie-from-the-Boro

REM this post from 4 weeks ago :

Social tariff's were replaced this April with " Warm Front Home Discount Scheme ", read all about it here

The Coalition Government committed to use these powers provided for by the Energy Act 2010. In March 2011 it established a scheme, called the Warm Home Discount, to run from 1 April 2011 until March 2015.The scheme will offer a rebate off electricity bills for customers in two distinct groups. The first group is the “Core Group” which consists of older pensioner households on low-incomes who are in receipt of a subset of pension credit; it is a clearly defined group. The second group is the “Broader Group” which will be left to energy suppliers to define, but which may include low income families and those with long-term illnesses and disabilities. Both groups will be granted a rebate of £120 in Year 1, £130 in Year 2, £135 in Year 3 and £140 in Year 4 off their electricity bills.[/QUOTE]

There is a similar social tariff that is applied to water bills if you read this pdf from my own water supplier you will see that for this period of 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 - £153 for water charges and £183 for sewerage charges can be saved. If you read the ''' Are you eligible? ''' section I make the assumption most here are eligible for one or more reasons, you would need to contact your own particular water / sewage supplier but I assume that these savings are nationwide and apply to all suppliers.

Now £350 saved on water added to the £130 saved on leccy is a lump worth having for those in need.

You decide .. .. have a read

rogerblack

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

I make the assumption most here are eligible for one or more reasons

Seems unlikely.
If you're on any of the long list of qualifying benefits, you must also have a disease that requires large amounts of water use, or over two children.

Richie-from-the-Boro

rogerblack wrote: »

Seems unlikely.
If you're on any of the long list of qualifying benefits, you must also have a disease that requires large amounts of water use, or over two children.

Maybe you are correct, its a very badly thought through pdf schematic structure.

So I'll revise the #1 post to [STRIKE]I make the assumption most here are eligible for one or more reasons[/STRIKE] I make the assumption some here are eligible and will benefit for one or more reasons.

Here is the actual OFWAT take on the scheme which says that the starting point is to be on one of the 8 benefit types, and then additionally :

Be responsible for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property,

or

Have (or someone living in the property must have) a medical condition which requires significant additional use of water. Examples of medical conditions include weeping skin diseases (such as psoriasis), Chrohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

saving_pennies

thanks for highlighting this. I'm sure it will help some people.

I am already on watersure - I never knew it existed until I read it on here somewhere so it is really useful to be reminded its out there for those that don't know.

I asked about the social tariff with electricity company before but by the time they took my income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit etc I was apparently too well off for the scheme even though my electric bill was just short of £120 a month! Now I moved my bills are lower but I might still give them a call - nothing to lose.

Richie-from-the-Boro

saving_pennies wrote: »

thanks for highlighting this. I'm sure it will help some people.

I am already on watersure - I never knew it existed until I read it on here somewhere so it is really useful to be reminded its out there for those that don't know.

I asked about the social tariff with electricity company before but by the time they took my income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit etc I was apparently too well off for the scheme even though my electric bill was just short of £120 a month! Now I moved my bills are lower but I might still give them a call - nothing to lose.

I would [ electricity & gas ] give them a ring, I've spoken with different people in different regions and know of at least three who were given watersure status on a monthly payment of less than £90 and even though they were on a very good metered plan with self-read-meter & direct debit discounts their monthly this year dropped by about a tenner per month, thats a further £120pa extra savings.

BTW the Warm Front scheme in my area which was starved of cash by central gov have just informed the public that they are now fully funded till April next year and open for applications again.

bloss0m

How do you get on Warm Front Home Discount Scheme there appears to be very little information if any on how you apply

As for helping householders to install heating measures and insulate their homes. There appears to be next to nothing for anyone with solid walls once again those through no fault of their own are excluded for energy saving measure like external insulation or internal insulation to solid walls. I bet if its social housing some councils will do something but you dare own you own home and there is nowt. We all pay on our bills extra for reducing carbon emissions but all I have had is free insulation in loft and a couple of light bulbs which I didnt need

I know they got the green deal coming but the information is sketchy at best and it does nothing for people this Winter. Twice my energy bill has gone up this year and I am proactive to monitor and switch things off, one can only do so much.

Richie-from-the-Boro

bloss0m wrote: »

How do you get on Warm Front Home Discount Scheme there appears to be very little information if any on how you apply

As for helping householders to install heating measures and insulate their homes. There appears to be next to nothing for anyone with solid walls once again those through no fault of their own are excluded for energy saving measure like external insulation or internal insulation to solid walls. I bet if its social housing some councils will do something but you dare own you own home and there is nowt. We all pay on our bills extra for reducing carbon emissions but all I have had is free insulation in loft and a couple of light bulbs which I didnt need

I know they got the green deal coming but the information is sketchy at best and it does nothing for people this Winter. Twice my energy bill has gone up this year and I am proactive to monitor and switch things off, one can only do so much.

HiYa bloss0m , you apply here, the general info is here , as for solid walls or NSC etc you are correct only whatever is called standard is catered for.

The GreenDeal is snake~oil from the tree e-huggers in general and the government in particular, basically :

- you get someone to pay for what you want up front
- you then get the costs added to your energy bills / whatever
- if you sell or move the next owner / tenant gets lumbered
- its all about carbon budgets for government, is not free, you still pay
- read up here

Mupette

I just made a thread about the warm home discount scheme.

didnt noticed it here in the water post.

Anyhoo i had to ring my energy supplier and i was told i would qualify, didnt know about it, so was a nice surprise and certainly will be a great help.

re water, the side effects of my illness means i use more water, but i had a struggle to get on the scheme... being on a meter as well..

But hopefully alls well ends well

welshsue

currently on social tariff for my electricity. There is a price rise on 4th sept so will see what happens after that. I am stuck with LPG gas as this does not seem to come under the social tariff scheme (unless someone can tell me differently).
I cannot do the water one as not on a meter and do not have 3 kids (even though long term disabled), why 3 kids?????

bloss0m

Thanks very much


I clicked on the first link and filled details and it said I had already applied. Which I haven't but did get some insulation from warm front for loft 4 years ago

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

HiYa bloss0m , you apply here, the general info is here , as for solid walls or NSC etc you are correct only whatever is called standard is catered for.

The GreenDeal is snake~oil from the tree e-huggers in general and the government in particular, basically :

- you get someone to pay for what you want up front
- you then get the costs added to your energy bills / whatever
- if you sell or move the next owner / tenant gets lumbered
- its all about carbon budgets for government, is not free, you still pay
- read up here

Mupette

welshsue wrote: »

currently on social tariff for my electricity. There is a price rise on 4th sept so will see what happens after that. I am stuck with LPG gas as this does not seem to come under the social tariff scheme (unless someone can tell me differently).
I cannot do the water one as not on a meter and do not have 3 kids (even though long term disabled), why 3 kids?????

not sure about the 3 kids bit,

but if your disability means you use extra water, you might be entitled...