Energy Information And Advice
We wanted to make sure everyone knew what information and support was available to help with the costs of fuel bills this winter. We'll update this page regularly over winter with tips, news and links for further help.
Energy Prices going down: What should I do to get best value?
Energy prices are going down by around 12% from Monday 1st April 2024. The price cap is falling from £1,928 to £1,690 for a typical household. There are actions you can take that will help you take best advantage of the price drop. It will only take you 2-5 minutes and could save you money this spring. Depending on what sort of meter you have, here is what you need to do.
Normal Meters: This includes Direct Debit, Monthly or Pay Quarterly customers
To take full advantage of the price reduction, take a meter reading on Monday 1st April 2024, AND DURING THAT WEEK put in your readings to your supplier. This will mean that when the new pricing kicks in you will be billed correctly on the cheaper unit rates straight away.
Smart Meters
If you have a smart meter, the meter readings are meant to happen automatically. You will not have to do anything. However, if you have a smart meter that is not commissioned, which means your meter is not automatically sending back readings to your supplier, you need to follow the advice for the Normal Meters.
If you don't know if your smart meter is automatically sending back readings to your supplier, Citizens Advice have an online tool called Smartmetercheck that will help you check. Before you use this tool you will need the following information.
- Your Postcode
- Gas MPRN: This is your Gas Meter Point Reference Number. It will be on your gas bill. It has between 6-11 digits. Or you can use Find My Supplier.
- Electric MPAN- This is your Meter Point Administration Number. It will be on your electricity bill. If you look on your bill you will see the following table. You need the numbers on the bottom row of the table.
Now go to the Smartmetercheck and follow the instructions there. The tool will check that your meters are operating in smart mode.
Prepayment Meters
If you have a traditional card and key payment meter, to take full advantage of the new prices you need to top up your meters on Monday 1st April. You just need to put at least £1 on each meter and this will bring down the pricing to the new rates from Monday. This will only work on the 1st April and not before so make sure you top up on Monday 1st April.
Condensation: What can we do about it?
Everyone's home gets condensation. It isn’t a problem if it only happens sometimes and clears quickly. But if you often have a lot of condensation, black mould can start to grow. Black mould can damage your clothes, furniture, and wall surfaces. And if left untreated, it can sometimes affect your health. We have a short video with some tips on how to reduce condensation, what to do if you see black mould, and how Prospect can help you keep condensation under control.
Energy Advice Service
Kenny McKaig and Katie McDonald are the ARCHIE Energy Advisors. They can help Prospect tenants with a range of advice and support including:
- Struggling with energy debt?
- Or prepayment topping up?
- Have a complaint?
- Fixed tariff ending?
- Large direct debit increase?
- Want energy advice?
- Need help with the Warm Home Discount?
- Received Warrant of Entry letter?
We are working with other ARCHIE partners to provide energy advice to housing association tenants. This new service has helped us expand the amount of energy support we can give to tenants. ARCHIE is a partnership of independent housing associations in Edinburgh. Kenny and Katie are employed through Harbour Homes, and the funding for these posts is being provided by the National Lottery Community Fund.
If you want an appointment with either Katie or Kenny, please ask your housing officer for a referral.
Boiler Money Saving Tip!
We’re sharing an energy saving tip that might help you out this winter with your fuel bills. If you reduce the flow temperature on your Combi boiler it will use less gas and you can save around 5-10% on your bills. Changing the flow temperature does not usually affect the temperature of your home, it simply makes your boiler work more efficiently. Not many people know about the flow temperature, so we’ve made a handy video to show you how! You can also find the video on our Facebook and Instagram pages. The boiler in the video is installed in most Prospect homes. If you don’t have the same boiler, or you have any questions about changing your boiler settings, please call us on 0131 458 5480.
Warm Home Discounts
You could be eligible for a Warm Home Discount from your energy supplier of £150. If you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you will get this discount automatically. You could also qualify if you get certain means-tested benefits or tax credits. If you are in this group, you will need to apply to your energy supplier for the discount, even if you received it last year. Each supplier has their own scheme so you will need to check if you are eligible and if their scheme is open. The discounts are offered on a first come first served basis so make sure you check your fuel supplier’s website regularly so that you don’t miss out. GOV.UK have a list with links to companies offering the discount on their website.
Energy Saving Advice
Changeworks have some helpful tips on lowering fuel bills by saving on your energy use. You can find the tips on their website.
The Edinburgh Community Food Iniative have advice on how to be energy efficient in the kitchen, with ideas on how to cook for less. You can find the information on their website.
The Energy Savings Trust has a page of tips on saving energy on their website. They have also produced a guide with some helpful Warm Home Hacks.
Get in touch
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Wester Hailes,
Edinburgh,
EH14 2TH