Cost of living support in Rossendale
If you are struggling with household costs, bills, food, heating, debt or other essentials, there is support available.
This page brings together local and national services that may be able to help with money worries, energy bills, home warmth and other cost of living pressures.
If you are in immediate financial hardship and cannot afford essentials, you may be able to apply for support through Rossendale Borough Council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Benefits, money and debt advice
Make sure you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to. If you need help with benefits, debt, money worries or energy debt, Citizens Advice East Lancashire can provide free advice.
Citizens Advice East Lancashire
Citizens Advice East Lancashire can help you check whether you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to. They can also provide advice if you are struggling with debt, money worries or energy debt, and can support you to negotiate with your energy supplier. In some cases, they may also be able to help with prepayment meter top up vouchers.
Phone: 0808 278 7975
Website: Citizens Advice Rossendale — Citizens Advice East Lancashire (cael.org.uk)
Worrying about money leaflet
More information on other sources of support can be found in the ‘Worrying about money - Support is available in Rossendale’ leaflet.
Struggling to pay your energy bills?
If you are falling behind with your gas or electricity bills, and finding yourself struggling to pay, the best thing to do is contact your supplier as soon as possible.
Under rules from the energy regulator Ofgem, your supplier has to help you if you are struggling to pay. They should look at what you can afford and discuss support based on your circumstances.
There is a range of options suppliers could offer if you are struggling, including:
- A full payment plan review
- Affordable debt repayment plans
- Payment breaks (though this won't be right for everyone)
- Reduced payments for a period of time
- More time to pay
- Access to hardship funds that only your supplier can provide
What help you can get is decided on a case-by-case basis, but importantly, repayment must be based on your ability to pay. So get in touch with your supplier as soon as possible.
If you are still struggling with debt, your supplier may suggest putting you on a prepayment meter. However, your supplier can only do this if it has explored all other options first, so you should always contact your supplier as soon as possible.
Local energy and affordable warmth support
The organisations below can help with energy advice, heating, home warmth, energy grants and practical support.
Rossendale Valley Energy
Rossendale Valley Energy offers a free, independent energy advice service that can help local residents get free energy advice and ongoing support. They can help you understand your energy bills and see if there are ways to reduce them through a combination of smaller energy efficiency measures and help to access energy grants for your home.
Phone: 01706 392646
Email: info@rvenergy.org.uk
Text or WhatsApp: 07887 001472
Website: Contact - Rossendale Valley Energy (rvenergy.org.uk)
Lancashire Women
This Lancashire-wide service offers FREE support to help you stay warm, whilst reducing your energy bills. Available to women, families and vulnerable people across Lancashire.
Phone: 0300 330 1354
Email: TalkToUs@lancashirewomen.org
Website: Energy Advice - Lancashire Women
Homewise
Homewise offer practical help and support to older, disabled and vulnerable homeowners to help them repair, improve and adapt their homes.
Homewise delivers Affordable Warmth support on behalf of Rossendale Borough Council.
Funding may be available for Rossendale residents for:
- Boiler servicing, repairs and replacement
- Heating systems and associated works
- Heating controls
- Replacement of unsafe heating appliances
- Poor windows and doors
Phone: 01254 232249
Email: info@homewisesociety.org.uk
Website: Homewise - Helping older, disabled & vulnerable people in East Lancashire
Affordable Warmth support
Households will be eligible for funding if they meet at least one of the following vulnerabilities and have a low income, defined as follows.
Household vulnerabilities may include:
- People with diagnosed cardiovascular conditions
- People with a diagnosed respiratory conditions (in particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and childhood asthma)
- People with diagnosed mental health conditions
- People with diagnosed disabilities
- Older people (65 and older)
- Households with young children (up to the age of 5)
- Pregnant women
- People who are terminally ill
- People with suppressed immune systems (e.g. from cancer treatment or HIV)
- People who have attended hospital due to a fall
Low income can be confirmed in one of the following three ways:
- Someone is in receipt of means tested benefits
- Have a total household income not in excess of £31,000
- A 'declaration' by the Local Authority or health / social care professional that affordability issues are present
Emergency works grants and other support
Homewise may also be able to help people access Rossendale Borough Council’s Emergency Works Grants. These grants can assist with urgent works that present a risk to safety, such as roof work, poor electrical wiring or other serious hazards.
Homewise can also help people access other support where needed. This may include referrals to Citizens Advice East Lancashire for energy advice and fuel voucher support, or links into other Homewise services such as the handyperson and small repairs service.
Newground Together
Newground Together can support and provide energy saving advice to Together Housing tenants.
As part of a Home Assessment, Newground Together can look at tenants’ energy bills, help them understand and manage energy use, and offer advice on saving energy at home. Tenants may also receive complimentary energy saving items.
Phone: 0300 330 5535
Email: hello@newground.co.uk
Please note: this service is for Together Housing tenants only.
Cosy Homes in Lancashire
Find out if you are eligible for energy grants at Free Energy Saving Grants | Cosy Homes in Lancashire (chil.uk.com)
Other useful information
Energy saving advice
The Government have set up a webpage with details of energy saving tips: Save energy in your home - Clean Energy Homepage
The Energy Saving Trust has an online calculator that shows how much you can save by making some quick and easy changes at home: Quick tips to save energy at home - Energy Saving Trust
Lancashire County Council Cost of Living Information Hub
Lancashire County Council has more information about cost of living support, including help with household costs, health, wellbeing, food and family support.
Website: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/cost-of-living/