People in fuel poverty urged to seek support

Households who are finding it hard to pay their energy bills have been encouraged to ask for help.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, energy minister Martin McCluskey said he doesn’t want to see "anyone struggling with their bills”.

He urged people in this situation to get in touch with their energy supplier and organisations like Citizens Advice.

Mr McClusky also insisted that the government is taking "direct action" through the warm home discount, saying this would “make a difference for those families who need it most”.

This is a one-off discount on your electricity bill and applied automatically to eligible households, so there’s no need to apply.

However, Mr McCluskey said people should check if they’re eligible or not.

"We want to make sure the cost of energy comes down as quickly as possible, so we're looking at actions across the piece to try and bring bills down," he added.

Action on bills rumoured in Budget

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has already pledged to take steps to bring down the cost of living in this month’s Budget.

Reports suggest she’s looking at scrapping VAT from energy bills, which could make a big difference to people struggling with the cost of gas and electricity right now.

However, this is just speculation at the moment, so we’ll have to wait until 26 November to hear what she announces.

In a speech earlier this month, Reeves said: “The choices I make in the Budget will be focused on getting inflation falling, creating the conditions for interest rate cuts to support economic growth and [improving] the cost of living.”

How can your energy supplier help?

If you speak to your energy supplier, they might be able to offer:

• grants
• payment plans
• advice on managing your account
• emergency credit if you’re on a prepayment meter

It could also be worth joining the Priority Services Register for extra support.

See what other benefits you could claim

Even if you’re already entitled to support like the warm home discount or winter fuel payments, it’s still worth finding out else you could claim.

For instance, you might be eligible for:

• housing benefit
• council tax discount
• a free TV licence if you’re over 75 

Give us a call or use our free benefits calculator to find out what you could be entitled to.

Cut your energy usage

A few small changes to how you use energy, such as taking shorter showers and not overfilling the kettle before boiling, could add up to big savings on your energy bill.

Check out our list of 50 smart energy-saving tips to help you get started.

Create a household budget

If you get a sinking feeling whenever a bill lands, look at how much money you have coming in and where it’s going.

You’ll then be able to work out where savings can be made and free up cash for essential expenses.

Check our guide on how to create a budget and give our free budget planner a try.