Helping local families in fuel crisis with Fuel Bank Vouchers
Rock Foundation UK Ltd are a trusted community partner to the Fuel Bank Foundation through our own Food Bank programme. Effectively, our role is to distribute the application forms to our service users, who are on pre-payment gas and electricity meters, for completion. These are then returned with proof of ID to our Food Bank. Once Rock Foundation have submitted the completed forms, the Fuel Bank Foundation make direct contact with applicants. Those who have met the criteria will have a payment voucher issued which can only be spent with their own utility provider.
The Fuel Bank Foundation continue to build their Fuel Bank capability which is delivered through a number of trusted community partners up and down our country; from Local Authorities to housing associations, local debt support charities or community groups. They have supported hundreds of thousands of people across Great Britain. They provide emergency heat and light to families when their prepayment gas and electricity meters have run out of credit, and the lights go out.
The energy supplier npower developed Fuel Bank. The goal was to identify and support those in fuel crisis. npower put together a team of specialists who used their expertise to work on the problem. Fuel Bank has the experience to generate meaningful, long-lasting change. In 2017, Fuel Bank Foundation became an independent registered charity.
They identify people who cannot afford to pre-pay for their fuel or energy. Often they will have used up all their options for support. This means that when their money runs out, they have no heating or means to cook hot food. We call this “fuel crisis”.
“Citizens Advice report that 140k households annually cannot afford to top up their meter and this will only increase as inflation soars.
88% of impacted households have children or are living with long-term conditions.”
Juggling finances and managing an energy account can be tricky. The Fuel Bank Foundation provides advice and practical help to get on top of things. Visit their site: www.fuelbankfoundation.org >
