Fuel bank pilot scheme

Fuel bank pilot scheme launched!

We'd like to say a big thank you to npower who recently announced a three month pilot scheme to help those living in fuel poverty.

Placed initially in 21 existing food banks, npower's Fuel Banks will help households using prepayment meters, regardless of whether they are npower customers or not. The fuel bank voucher worth £49 credit, can be used to top up gas and electricity meters. This will enable households that have run out of energy to get the power back on within a few hours for up to two weeks.

The Fuel Bank has been launched specifically to address the problem of households who 'self-disconnect' in order to save money. Research conducted by Citizens Advice found that one in every six homes that use a prepayment meter has self-disconnected, meaning up to 1.62 million people go without electricity or gas each year.

The trial will run in 21 locations in County Durham, Kingston-upon-Thames and Gloucester, with the ambition to support up to 13,000 households in the first year.
If successful the trial will be extended nationwide.
From Alton Foodbank News