Beat the Cold

Visions and Aims
“Beat the Cold, helping reduce fuel poverty and improving the general health and well-being of anyone in need” Beat the Cold aims to: Deliver a service that will reduce the ill health, deaths and misery suffered by vulnerable households because of fuel poverty. Be an efficient and flexible organisation, trusted by the people we serve and by our professional partners. Share our expertise in finding and supporting those households who need help but are ‘hard to reach.’ We strive to create low carbon communities.

Our Support
Beat the Cold advisors provide a first class, invaluable service for residents living across Staffordshire. Likely topics during a telephone call or a conversation may include:

• Applying for free or low-cost insulation;
• Using your heating system the best way – to reduce cost and waste;
• Paying for fuel – finding the best tariff and switching companies;
• The Warm Home Discount and Priority Service Registers;
• Fuel debt;
• Improving energy efficiency;
• Referral to agencies that specialise in checking benefits;
• Renewables, such as solar pv, solar thermal, heat pumps; and the ways to make them pay.

Home Energy Advice and Support Visit
All visits are by appointment only. Advisers are trained to give energy advice; they follow agency policies on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults; and they are all subject to an enhanced CRB check.

Support goes beyond advice, and can include:

• Looking for the best way to pay for fuel that suits the household;
• Checking meter readings and bills;
• Negotiating with fuel companies over debts and payments;
• Referral to other schemes;
• Getting all the paperwork together and helping to write letters;
• Returning to check progress.