Citizens Advice Rushmoor
Providing personalised energy advice to support Rushmoor residents in fuel poverty
Our project at a glance
- Strategic priority area: Targeting geographic communities most at risk of fuel poverty
- Support target: 1,000 households over 16 months
- Duration: December 2024 to March 2026
- Investment: £70,193 over 16 months
- Forecast SROI: £4.89
Extremely grateful for the energy support and guidance given to me at the time of my distress and confusion about what steps I needed to take at the time.
Isabelle
Citizens Advice Rushmoor client
Why we’re working together
Rushmoor in Hampshire is a densely populated and diverse borough that suffers poor levels of economic activity, health, educational attainment and housing tenure.
According to the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation, Rushmoor has three areas of multiple deprivation that are in the 20% most deprived in the country.
Lower income households are more likely to respond to higher energy prices by cutting energy use below safe levels. Some will find themselves in the situation where energy will become unaffordable, resulting in self-disconnection or unmanageable energy debt.
We’re partnered with Citizens Advice Rushmoor to help households across the district who are struggling with high and unaffordable energy bills. By providing holistic, person-centred support, we’re alleviating fuel poverty and helping households maintain a safe and warm home.
Project objectives
- Training frontline workers and volunteers on energy safeguarding and referral routes
- Supporting Rushmoor households with personalised energy advice
- Providing in-depth energy debt and income maximisation support for households with complex energy issues
- Supporting eligible households to sign up for the Priority Services Register
- Raising awareness of carbon monoxide safety and providing free CO alarms to households most at risk of CO harm
How we’re working together
Training for frontline workers
By training frontline community leaders through the ‘Advice First Aid’ programme, we’re upskilling community leaders to support households in fuel poverty. The training equips frontline workers with the knowledge and skills to identify households in fuel poverty and provide triage support, as well as facilitating referrals into the Switched On service where required.
Personalised energy advice and safeguarding
Qualified energy advisers at Citizens Advice Rushmoor are providing households with personalised energy advice to keep them keep safe and warm at home. The advisers tailor their support to each client’s unique needs. For example, educating the household on using energy more efficiently to help reduce energy costs, registering the household for the PSR or raising awareness of carbon monoxide safety.
As well as energy safeguarding, the advisers are supporting households with income maximisation by running benefits checks to identify eligibility, reducing energy debt and applying for emergency help where needed.
Community outreach
The Citizens Advice Rushmoor team is holding and attending energy events and workshops at warm spaces and community hubs across the district, including a weekly Nepali language drop-in service.
By extending our support into the community, we’re able to engage with hard-to-reach groups that may not otherwise approach the service for support. This includes priority groups who are more vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home, including older people and people with long-term health conditions.
How to get involved
Accessing the Switched On service
As one of our VCMA network partners, you can refer residents in Rushmoor for support by using the tools on the Citizens Advice Rushmoor website.
If you live in the Rushmoor area and need help with energy, benefit or debt issues, you can call 0808 175 3559 for free and leave a voicemail. Leave your name, phone number and postcode and they will call you back to arrange an appointment. You can also find details of other ways of contacting the Citizens Advice Rushmoor team on the charity’s website.
Becoming a partner
You can find out more about partnering with Citizens Advice Rushmoor on the charity’s website.
Building on our existing work through SGN’s Safe and Warm Community Scheme, our new partnership will enable our team of expert energy advisers to continue meeting the needs of some of Rushmoor’s hardest to reach groups.
Through outreach and engagement in collaboration with community partners, and securing referral pathways for some of our most marginalised individuals and families, SGN’s welcome investment in our person-centred and holistic approach to energy advice will help alleviate fuel poverty amongst our most vulnerable households – leaving a last legacy within the communities we are proud to serve.