Citizens Advice Doncaster has been awarded £394,051 of funding from the British Gas Energy Trust

Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough has received £394,051 from the Trust, to deliver vital support to local communities over the next two years.

The Trust awarded the funding following a nationwide mapping exercise which identified organisations that are best placed to help people avoid the burden of energy debt and make better informed energy and money management choices.

More than six million households across the UK remain in fuel poverty[1]. With this funding, Citizens Advice Doncaster Boroughhopes to continue The team has been delivering a British Gas Energy Trust funded project for the last 18 months, supporting 1,203 people with 4,295 energy interventions and maximising people’s income to a tune of £774,000. They’ve also issued 550 much-needed fuel vouchers and delivered scores of warm packs featuring hats, gloves, scarves and hot water bottles to those in need across the city.

The energy advisors on the British Gas Trust Project at Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough have been named as finalists for the Citizens Advice Team of the Year award, set to be announced in April.

James Woods, Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough Chief Executive, said the shortlisting was down to his amazing team taking the time to understand its community.

He said: “To have been named in the top three teams is a real privilege.

“We go out to the community and deliver workshops on various topics. For example, we delivered one recently focused on smart meters for the Muslim community. Veterans are another good example – they often won’t come forward for support, so we go to them with the information we think they need.

“There are 35,000 people living in a budget deficit in Doncaster, and one of the main issues in that is energy arrears. Yes, the energy caps are coming down but many people are in energy debt throughout the year so it doesn’t matter if bills come down in the summer; they’re still having to pay off the debt the vast quantities of debt they have.”

Jessica Taplin, CEO of the British Gas Energy Trust, said:

“I am thrilled that the Trust can continuethis essential support across Britain. These funded money and energy advice services address root causes of fuel poverty such as poor money management and home energy inefficiencywithan increased focus on the holistic support of increasingly complex cases and energy advice. With this funding commitment of £13m over the next two years an estimated 35,000 people across Britain will have access to these key frontline services in the heart of their community, with 60 per cent receiving the critical in-depth support they need, thanks to Trust funded projects like Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough.

About British Gas Energy Trust

The British Gas Energy Trust is an independent Charitable Trust established in 2004 and independent from, but solely funded by, British Gas. Its mission is to alleviate the detrimental impact of poverty, with a focus on fuel poverty. Support is delivered through three programmes: debt relief grants which can help households with up to £2,000 in fuel debt; a small grants programme that provides emergency energy vouchers and payments; and a programme that funds over 40 money and energy advice projects throughout Britain.

About Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough

Citizens Advice Doncaster is an independent, local charity and a member of the Citizens Advice network. We provide free advice and support to meet the needs of our community. This includes advice on a range of problems, such as with work, debt, benefits, immigration, housing and more. We’re here to help everyone who lives, works or studies in the Doncaster Borough.