Fuel poverty tackled in joint effort
The first fuel banks in Britain have been launched
by Tara Craig
5th June 2015
Churches, charities and an electricity provider have united to launch the first fuel banks in Britain.
The Trussell Trust, National Energy Action, npower and Durham Christian Partnership are behind the pilot scheme. It is being trialled in Durham, Gloucester and Kingston-upon- Thames over a three-month period. Users of the service will receive fuel vouchers.
The fuel banks aim to help households who ‘self-disconnect’ in order to save money. Research conducted by Citizens Advice shows that one in every six homes that use a pre-payment meter has self-disconnected. This means that up to 1.62 million people go without electricity or gas each year.
