Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton are delighted to be partnering with Age UK Bury and Age UK Bolton to help support those most vulnerable across Bury and Bolton.
The new two-year project, funded through the Energy Industry Redress Scheme, is in its planning and mobilisation phase and is expected to commence taking referrals in the coming weeks.
The project will see us deliver free face-to-face, quality-assured advice to those vulnerable to fuel poverty, supporting them towards being able to keep warm and healthier homes.
Advice will be delivered either in-person, digitally or via home visits, in order to promote greater awareness and access to advice and other services amongst people with fuel insecurity.
The partnership aims to enable vulnerable people to be able to afford their energy bills, reducing fuel poverty and creating a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.
The project will achieve this by:
- Delivering advice and assistance with increasing incomes
- Improving energy efficiency in homes
- Improving the health and wellbeing of people who are fuel vulnerable
- Developing energy advice skills
- Learning from people’s lived experience
Richard Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton said:
“This is an exciting partnership, the first of its kind, between two providers operating across Bury & Bolton within robust quality assurance frameworks. We’re looking forward to developing the project which will have reach across all communities and age groups across the Bury & Bolton areas.”
Suzanne Hilton, Chief Executive Officer of Age UK Bolton said:
“We are very excited to be launching this exciting partnership with Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton and Age UK Bury to help and support local people navigate through the current cost of living and energy crisis. The current climate is creating a great deal of fear and anxiety among older groups, forcing them to make awful choices and to question their futures. Our Information & Advice Service has seen a massive increase in demand which we have hitherto been struggling to meet. This support will enable us to respond in a timely manner and to reach out and find those people in need of our help.”
Andy Hazeldine, Chief Officer at Age UK Bury said:
“We are seeing an enormous surge in enquiries for help with benefits during this cost of living crisis. We are grateful for this new funding from the Energy Industry Redress Scheme which will help us to support local residents in Bury and Bolton.”