Frontline Workers

Our Energy Team offer a free advice service to support people with energy issues in Plymouth. We work with frontline workers across the city to help local residents tackle energy issues they may be facing.

Evidence shows a strong link between good health and wellbeing and a healthy home. If you are supporting a resident that has energy issues, we can work alongside them, and you, to resolve it.

We can provide mediation with suppliers, landlords and housing associations where needed.

We will always prioritise people who are in a ‘no heat’ situation or at risk of self-disconnection.

We can also support residents to apply for energy related grants, energy efficiency measures, schemes to tackle cold, damp homes and to maximise income.

• By phone on 01752 477117
• By email to energyteam@plymouthenergycommunity.com
• In the home – we offer home visits if otherwise access to support by PEC is not possible. Please ask for an appointment with a PEC Advisor.
• In the community, at accessible events in the city – details are available on our website, on our social channels and in our newsletter.

To refer a client to us for advice and support, please complete and return our Energy Team Referral form.

For referrals from LiveWell and Adult Social Care teams, please complete and return the Warm Homes Referral Form.

If the client's issue will require us to speak to an energy company on their behalf, please also complete and return a Form of Authority, signed by the client.

Please send completed referrals to energyteam@plymouthenergycommunity.com.

If you need to contact the Livewell Warm Homes team please email livewell.warmhomereferrals@nhs.net.

DWP Crisis and Resilience Fund

Support is available to low-income households experiencing financial hardship or crisis. Particularly where there are additional vulnerability factors.

Households may be eligible where one or more risk factors apply:

• Recent crisis events such as loss of income, housing instability, relationship breakdown, or hospital discharge
• Health conditions or disability within the household
• Low income or reliance on means-tested benefits
• Someone in the household is of pension age
• Families with children living in the property
• Experiencing fuel poverty or difficulty affording energy costs, including heating oil prices
• Living in a cold, damp or hard-to-heat home

Eligibility may also be determined through referral or identification by partner organisations, including outreach to households identified as vulnerable.
 

Exclusions
Households may not be eligible where:

• No financial hardship or crisis is present
• The requested support duplicates assistance already given for the same need
• The need can be met through a statutory scheme or grant more appropriate
• The household does not live within the Plymouth local authority area

Applications may also be declined where there is not enough information provided to assess eligibility.

We support residents who are vulnerable to the impacts of cold or damp homes. This includes:

• Households on low incomes,
• People living with long-term health conditions or disabilities
• Those at increased risk of harm from cold or energy-inefficient housing

Eligibility
Access is through referral by a professional. For example, a health worker, Wellbeing or Family Hub, social care service, or other community support professional.
Residents may also be supported if they attend a PEC drop-in service. Households must evidence needs and find it difficult to afford energy bills or keep a home warm and free from damp.

Energy-related support may include:

• Direct payments to an energy supplier
• Fuel vouchers
• Damp and mould repairs or kits to treat issues
• Heating or plumbing repairs
• Simple energy efficiency measures, such as heated blankets or radiator panels
• Energy advice to resolve issues or make bills more affordable

Crisis and Resilience Fund is funded by:

We deliver regular workshops for frontline workers and other professionals supporting people in Plymouth. These informal sessions offer tools to keep local residents warm and well, and provide a useful forum for sharing ideas.

Below are details of our upcoming training opportunities:

We can also provide bespoke training for your team/organisation. Please get in touch to find out more. 

You can download a range of our advice leaflets below to share with your clients. 

These are the full colour versions of the leaflets. Please note that because the leaflets are folded when printed, the information appears in a different order when displayed on screen.

Accessibility: You can also access the same advice within our help and advice portal. At the bottom of each article is the option 'print this page', which creates a black and white plain text version of the article suitable for home printing.

Energy Saving Tips

Energy Debt

Emergency Credit

Condensation Damp and Mould