Energy, fuel and utilities

Grants and discounts

If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, you may be eligible for additional support. The links below contain further advice about the grants and discounts currently available to households:

• Help with your energy bills (from GOV.UK)
• Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills (from Citizens Advice)
• Getting help if you can't afford your energy bills (from Ofgem)

Oil Heating

Crisis and Resilience Fund - heating oil payments

The Crisis and Resilience Fund was previously known as the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme (LWAS). If you are struggling with the cost of heating oil, you may be eligible for a heating oil payment through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

You can apply for a heating oil payment even if you have previously applied for a crisis payment through the Crisis and Resilience Fund or LWAS. You can check the eligibility criteria and apply through the Suffolk County Council website. If you need support with your application, contact Citizens Advice (please see contact details in the below section.)

Apply for a heating oil payment

If you rely on oil to heat your home, you may also benefit from collective buying schemes that bulk buy to secure a better price for households:

• The Oil-Club

Interest-free loans are also available from the Eastern Savings and Loan Credit Union to spread the cost of oil. (Subject to affordability, credit check, and a membership fee.)

For more support see the 'If you are unable to heat your home' section below, or contact your local Citizens Advice (details also in the section below). You can also find out more about wider Cost Of Living support.

Grants

Crisis and Resilience Fund

You may be able to apply for the Suffolk Crisis and Resilience Fund (previously known as the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme). This is a grant for people struggling to afford the cost of essentials like food, heating, fuel (including heating oil), clothing and household bills. 

Ask your energy supplier

If you have energy debt, contact your energy supplier and ask about grants to reduce or clear your debt. You can also ask your local Citizens Advice for help to budget and negotiate with your supplier (details below). 

Turn2Us

Search for other grants you may be eligible for on the Turn2Us website.

Citizens Advice

Get confidential support from Sudbury and South Suffolk Citizens Advice about:

• Energy bulls and energy debt
• Housing, or speaking to your landlord about cold, damp and heating issues
• Managing your money and debt
• Benefit checks to boost your income
• Grant applications
• Emergency heating support (if you are in crisis and at risk of disconnection, including self-disconnection, due to lack of funds.

Phone: 01787 321400

Address: Keyse House, Sudbury, CO10 1QN

You can also phone the national Citizens Advice Suffolk Adviceline on 0808 278 7868

Babergh District Council

Speak to us for more information on local support and services.

Contact details: www.babergh.gov.uk/contact-us

Visit us in person: www.babergh.gov.uk/w/customer-access-points

Find out more about our Cost of Living support, including how to check your benefit entitlement: 

Cost of living support

A network of warm spaces has developed across Suffolk, where people can come together to socialise in a warm and welcoming environment.

All libraries in Suffolk have warm spaces for anyone to come and use. You can find your local library online.

We have provided grant funding to community groups, to help them provide free or affordable activities, and support their local communities through the winter months.

Find a group or activity near you

The Rural Coffee Caravan support a variety of social events in rural communities across Suffolk. View a map of all their sessions (including warm spaces) online:

Rural Coffee Caravan - map

Information from national organisations about how households can reduce their energy use:

• Energy advice for households (from Ofgem)
• Quick tips to save energy at home (from Energy Saving Trust)
• Energy saving advice (from GOV.UK)

Energy efficiency 

Improving the energy efficiency of your home can help you reduce your use of energy.

If you own your home, or are a private landlord, you can use the following tool to learn about longer term investments that improve the energy efficiency of your home. The tool also provides information on installations, as well as grants:

Find ways to save energy in your home

Warm Homes Suffolk

Grants for eligible private tenants or homeowners, for wall and loft insulation, solar panels and air source heat pumps, to make homes warmer and cheaper to run.  

Warm Homes Suffolk

Solar Panels - Switch Together Suffolk

Switch Together Suffolk is a scheme that helps people in Suffolk install solar panels and battery storage for their homes. It is supported by local councils and works by bringing lots of households together to get a better deal from trusted installers.

Switch Together Suffolk

Anglian Water offer reduced tariffs to eligible households on a low income. Learn more about Anglian Water's LITE and Extra LITE tariffs

You may be able to reduce your phone and broadband bill(s) by switching to a social tariff

If you are on a low income and you're struggling to get online, you may be able to access free data from the National Databank. You can also access the internet for free at an Online Centre.

For more information and to find a participating Online Centre near you please visit The Good Things Foundation’s website.

Learn more about the National Databank

If you are struggling to pay for your TV, phone or internet bill(s), Citizens Advice have provided some advice on their website:

Learn more about help with TV, phone or internet costs

We know that getting around can be difficult without access to your own vehicle, particularly in some of our more rural areas where there is limited public transport. Connecting Communities offer community transport across Suffolk to help residents get where they need to go, they also have accessible transport.

Some Good Neighbour Schemes also offer community transport: find a list of participating neighbourhoods. You can also search for community transport operators on Suffolk Infolink

Where possible, using alternatives to a car can reduce your household fuel expenses. 'The Way to Go Suffolk' helps you plan journeys within the county.

Where driving can't be avoided, consider car sharing to split the expense. Suffolk Car Share helps you look for drivers who are travelling where you are.