Many of us are worried about rising heating costs and energy bills at the moment, especially with the cold weather and the fact that we're all at home a lot more than usual due to current lockdown advice.

- If you need help with your energy bills you should speak to your individual supplier in the first instance as you may be able to switch to a better tariff. You could also visit a cost comparison website such as: https://www.gocompare.com/gas-and-electricity/ or https://www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity/ for comparisons between different providers and tariffs.

- There is also government help available, including the Cold Weather Payment and Warm Home Discount Scheme (if you receive certain benefits) and/or the Winter Fuel Payment (if were born before 1954). For details of whether you are eligiblefor any of these benefits  and how to apply, please visit: www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/heating

- We have our own LYHA Customer Support Fund in place to offer assistance. To find out more, please speak to one of our Neighbourhood or Income Officers.

We've also compiled a list of energy saving tips which may help to reduce your bills slightly or you could visit: https://bigenergysavingwinter.org.uk/ for further advice:

• Turn the room thermostat down a degree or two. You probably won't even notice the difference and every degree could save you around ten percent in energy costs
• Make sure curtains or furniture are not blocking any radiators to allow heat to circulate
• Open the curtains during the daytime to allow natural light into the room rather than switching a light on
• Draw the curtains at dusk to keep heat in the rooms
• If you are drying your clothes indoors, don't put them over a radiator. Try putting up a clothes rail in an unheated room instead
• Make sure you turn your lights, appliances and chargers off when you're not using them. Nearly all electrical and electronic appliances can safely be turned off at the plug without upsetting their systems. The only exceptions are satellite and digital TV recorders which should be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programs you want to record (but check the instructions on any appliances you aren't sure about). A family could save around £40 a year just by remembering to turn things off.
• Switch to energy-saving light bulbs - they last up to six times longer than a normal bulb. Changing just one light bulb will save money on your energy bill
• Set your washing machine to wash at 30°C
• Don't fill your kettle right up every time - just boil the amount of water you need