A faulty meter left Mrs B without heating for two weeks. Her supplier missed ten appointments to fix the issue. Fortunately, our Affordable Warmth team was there to help.
A faulty meter
Mrs B lives on her own in independent seniors’ housing. She rations her heating due to high electricity costs.
A fault with Mrs B’s electricity meter meant that she got into fuel debt and had no heating for two weeks.
Mrs B contacted her energy supplier several times to try fix the issue. However, the supplier missed ten appointments and the meter problems continued. The lack of heating affected Mrs B’s physical and mental health, whilst the stress of trying to get the supplier to sort the issue made things worse.
Mrs B decided to contact Changeworks for support.
Advisor support
An advisor from our Affordable Warmth Team supported Mrs B to call her supplier again. The supplier booked in an emergency call-out and finally replaced Mrs B’s faulty meter.
The advisor confirmed that Mrs B owed the supplier £232.53. To help cover this, the advisor applied to the Home Heat Support Fund. This is a grant fund which helps vulnerable people clear their fuel debts.
The advisor also asked the supplier to compensate Mrs B for the missed appointments. This is one of the consumer rights set by Ofgem, the energy industry regulator.
All of this support made a big difference to Mrs B. As she said herself:
“Having someone like yourself to lean on made it possible to get through.”
The outcome
The application to the Home Heating Support Fund went better than anyone could have hoped for. Mrs B received just over £900. Not only did this help her clear her £232.53 debt, it also means she shouldn’t need to ration her heat as much.
The advisor made sure that Mrs B’s rights were upheld. Her supplier had originally offered £130 as compensation for missed appointments. With the advisor’s help, Mrs B received £600 for missed appointments.
On top of this, the advisor was able to help Mrs B get additional support. The supplier gave Mrs B a £30 goodwill payment, as well as a Smart Energy Kit to help her save energy. Mrs B was also referred to the supplier’s specialist department for further financial support.
Thankfully, with her heating back on, Mrs B’s health has improved:
“I feel like a new woman, I feel so much better! Having your support has made all the difference.”