British Gas has announced an extra £2million will be put towards money advice centres funded by the British Gas Energy Trust to get more help to those struggling with living costs. The independent charity solely funded by British Gas currently 23 advice centres across the UK and the additional investment will add another 20.
The charities help consumers with money advice, access to benefits, help with bill disputes, energy support and help applying for grants. They have managed debts for 24,000 people and have gained an additional £16 million in income for those seeking advice, as well as enabling the write-off of £7 million worth of debts.
The extra £2million in funding will increase the impact with an expected 35,000 people visiting the centres this year.
Chris O’Shea, Chief Executive of Centrica, said: “We pride ourselves on being a responsible business and want to help consumers struggling with the cost of living in any way we can. A big part of that is making sure we have direct grants and funds for consumers who are really struggling to provide some much-needed immediate relief. The advice centres supported by the British Gas Energy Trust play a vital role in ensuring people get longer term help and this mix of immediate and longer-term assistance is very effective in making sustainable changes. We are very proud of the work done by the British Gas Energy Trust.”
Helen Charlton, Chair of the British Gas Energy Trust said: “The impacts of high energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis are harsh and far-reaching. So, as a charity we took the decision to release £1m in funding for further advice, help and support, funding projects in areas shown by our research and modelling to be most in need. We felt it was right to take this step at a time of severe, serious and likely ongoing crisis for the people we serve. And we are deeply grateful to Chris O’Shea and British Gas for £1m of matched funding, enabling us to double our efforts and impact at this critical time”
Every year the British Gas Energy Trust delivers advice and support services for all consumers and last year provided £1.8 million of debt relief, emergency fuel vouchers, and grants to replace boilers, with a further £3.6 million of funding provided to charities who offer advice and money support.
Since the launch of the Trust in 2004, over £85 million has been invested in helping over 500,000 people manage their energy costs.
This year British Gas Energy Support Fund was also created with a £6m investment in response to the cost-of-living crisis. Through the fund thousands of British Gas customers have been provided with grants between £250 and £750 to help pay towards their energy bills. Over a third of the recipients are on disability benefit and many are families – 30 per cent are single parents and a quarter have children under 5 years old.
