Nishat was under a lot of stress. She was facing financial insecurity, struggling to heat her home and recovering from serious health issues. As a result, Turning Point Scotland referred Nishat to our Affordable Warmth Team for support with her energy debt and unaffordable bills.
Helping Nishat at home
Graeme, one of our expert Energy Advisors, visited Nishat at home. Her home uses electric storage heaters. These work differently to other kinds of heating and can be expensive to run if not used efficiently.
Graeme showed Nishat how to use her storage heaters properly. He also helped her work out where she could make other energy savings around the home. By using other home appliances more efficiently, Nishat was able to bring down her energy costs.
Graeme said:
“Nishat was engaged from the start. She wanted to understand how the heaters and billing worked so that she could take ownership, learn, and make her life better.”
By putting Graeme’s advice into practice, Nishat saved over £100. Going forward, this will help keep her energy costs down.
Clearing the energy debt
To further support Nishat, Graeme applied for fuel vouchers worth almost £300. He also made an urgent application to Edinburgh Trust, which awarded Nishat £1,500. This grant allowed Nishat to pay off her energy debt with Octopus.
On top of this, Graeme also managed to get Nishat several energy efficient items, including a heated blanket, air fryer and portable panel heater.
Life-changing support
Nishat was delighted by how much Graeme helped her. She said he provided “amazing support that has changed my life.”
Graeme is equally impressed with Nishat. He said:
“It’s always a pleasure to work with someone like Nishat. Sometimes people just want our team to fix things for them. But Nishat wanted to understand everything so she could fix things for herself.”
Make a referral to our Affordable Warmth Team
Refer yourself or someone else who needs support with improving energy efficiency, reducing energy costs and resolving billing and debt issues.