Tracey has today called on her constituents to ensure they are taking advantage of the free help and support that could save them £315 on their energy bills.

Tracey has devised three simple steps that every constituent should take, to make sure they’re doing all they can to keep their bills down and their homes warm:

  1) Insulate your home: With an average of £1 in every £4 spent on heating wasted due to poor insulation, one of the best ways to keep energy bills down this winter to insulate homes. Loft insulation could save the average household around £180 per year, with cavity wall insulation saving up to £140 per year. All of the big energy companies will provide some form of free energy efficiency, depending on your circumstances. In most cases you don’t even need to be a customer. British Gas has launched an online checker that’ll tell you if you qualify for free home insulation and can be found here: www.britishgas.co.uk/eco . You can also call 0800 980 8164 for more information.

  2) Get the best deal: Check that you are on the best gas and electricity tariff to suit you. There are lots of deals and fixed prices to help you keep control of the costs. Households should contact their supplier, whoever they are, and make sure they are getting the best deal. British Gas has introduced ‘Tariff Check’ – a personalized half-yearly review for each customer to tell them if they could make a saving by switching to a different British Gas tariff. British Gas is the first major supplier to offer this service and has also removed exit fees for those wishing to switch to between British Gas tariffs.

  3)   Financial support: Constituents may be entitled to extra support from the UK Government and their energy supplier if they meet certain criteria. British Gas has the widest eligibility criteria of all the major suppliers for the Warm Home Discount Scheme, meaning that more than 500,000 British Gas customers will receive a rebate of £135 on their energy bill in winter 2013/14. Customers who are eligible for the Warm Home Discount through British Gas will receive an additional rebate to protect them from rising prices this winter- worth up to £60. To make sure you-re in receipt of all the benefits your entitled to, British Gas customers should call 0800 072 8625.

Tracey said: “I want all my constituents to be ‘Winter Ready’ and it can be difficult to understand what extra help is available. The simple advice is designed to help people see how they can cut energy use and help keep bills under control this winter. We have a great community in Chatham and Aylesford and we should all do our bit for others. So, even if you’re not eligible for any extra support, make sure that your friends and family are aware of all the help they can get in these tough economic times. We must also make sure the frail and elderly are kept warm this winter, the cold weather can be fatal to them so please ensure you past this information on to all your elderly relatives and help them also stay warm this winter.”

Please see the attachment below for more helplines that provide information and support.