Over the next three months, Freshwinds are participating in a number of local and national initiatives aimed at helping people access support and advice to ensure that their homes are heated as well as possible over the winter months, and that they are receiving their full entitlement to welfare benefits, as well as dealing with any debt and money advice issues they may have.

Freshwinds Advice and Information Services have been selected  to provide three new services until April 2013, all aimed at helping people stay healthy in their own homes. These are;

• Along with our partners in the Birmingham Social Enterprise Energy Network (B:SEEN), Freshwinds are working with Birmingham Energy Savers and their partners, Carillion, referring clients for a comprehensive assessment of the energy efficiency of their homes as a forerunner of the Green Deal which is coming out later this year.  The assessments are aimed at those on means tested benefits, those in fuel poverty or in hard to heat homes.

• For the second year running we have been invited to be a partner in the Stay Warm/Stay Well Project which has been funded by the Department of Health to provide energy and debt advice to vulnerable households across Birmingham. We are offering a home visit to make this service as accessible as possible.

• We have received funding from Citizens Advice and Ofgem to run ‘Energy Best Deal’ sessions, aimed at raising awareness amongst the public and professionals on how to receive the best deal from their energy providers or how to switch to cheaper tariffs or providers.  Over 75% of low earners who went to an Energy Best Deal session in 2011/12 said they would take action to cut their gas and electricity bills following the advice they received.  Energy Best Deal sessions will be run in partnership with other groups, including local children’s centres.

All the services are free and open to residents of the City Of Birmingham.

Fuel poverty, has become a huge issue amongst a large number of clients and we welcome the opportunity to act proactively to help our service users avoid the stress and ill health that it causes. For further  information on any of these schemes, please contact Angela Dyer, or Neil McAuley on 0121415 6670, or via email on findadvice@freshwinds.org.uk.