We understand that you might be worried about the cost of running your home. Here’s some information on the financial help that’s available and some ways to reduce the amount of energy and water you use.
We've opened the doors to some of our community centres and other spaces to help people stay warm in winter.
You can find your nearest warm space on the Warm Welcome website.
And to read up on some great examples of our support, head here.
British Gas Energy Trust is an independent charitable trust set up to support people across England, Wales and Scotland.
If you're struggling to pay your energy bills, support is available no matter who your energy supplier is.
Uswitch’s energy-saving tips
To help you use less energy and save some money, utility price comparison and switching service Uswitch have shared a guide with 102 energy-saving tips for your home including:
- defrost your fridge freezer regularly so it doesn’t use more energy than necessary
- use a high spin speed so clothes come out of the washing machine almost dry
- turning your thermostat down by just a single degree can save you as much as £60 per year
- move your furniture away from radiators on the wall to enable warm air to flow more easily and efficiently around the room
- bleed your radiators to remove the trapped air that stops them from working as efficiently as they should
- clean dirty windows, both on the inside and outside — dirt can block up to 10% of natural sunlight
- if the sun only warms some rooms, leave internal doors open to let the warm air circulate through the home to get to the rooms that the sun doesn’t touch
Have a read of the full guide for more energy-saving ideas.
Other energy-saving tips
Martin Lewis and his team at MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) post regular energy-saving advice. It’s worth signing up to receive their latest tips and news.
Nesta is also continuing to run its Money Saving Boiler Challenge with an aim to help over one million households change their combi boiler settings to save energy and money over the winter.
It’s also a good idea to check Energy Saving Trust’s quick and easy ways to save energy.
Citizens Advice also have up to date information on what grants and benefits are available to help you pay your energy bills.
Need some help with your water bills?
You can find advice on how to cut your water bill on Money Saving Expert and Yorkshire Water.
If you need help paying your water bill, WaterSure may be able to help you. The Yorkshire Water Community Trust also offer support to Yorkshire Water customers.
Help with bills
Yorkshire Water offer short-term and long-term schemes that help people who are struggling to pay their water bills. If your bills are mounting up, check what help’s available to you.
Reducing usage
You can also look at ways to reduce your water usage. There are a few free water saving devices that are super easy to fit, from 4-minute shower timers to cistern bags that save 1-2 litres of water every time you flush. See what water saving devices Yorkshire Water can offer you for free.
And there are a few other things you can do to reduce your water bills too, such as using homemade water butts to collect rainwater for your plants and only boiling as much water as you need. Find more water saving tips here.
More help
For the latest information on the government’s Cost of Living support, go to the Help for Households Campaign website.
Make sure you’re getting the best deals on your phone, broadband and TV. Check if your current provider has any offers on for existing customers and then compare prices to what else is out there.
MoneySavingExpert.com has plenty of information on searching for the best deals.
Find out if you can save money on your home insurance. Check out some tips and tricks to find the cheapest cover.
More info
Click on these links for more information to help you through the cost of living crisis.