When Shane approached Citizens Advice, St Helens, for a second time he was hoping for some help with managing his energy debt. But he was surprised and delighted to get much more than this and take back control of his life.
By working with specialist energy case worker, Kevin - who has worked at Citizens Advice for 17 years - he got much more than advice. Through Kevin’s expertise he was offered tips on reducing energy use at home and advised on benefits to generate more income. But, more than this, Kevin looked at his energy debts with a view to clearing them through a Trust Fund, which was successfully completed. This help enabled him to keep his credit record clear whilst starting afresh and getting back on top of his energy bills.
Through all this advice and support, Shane now feels more in control and able to pay his bills each month – and more importantly he can use his energy to cook and keep his home warm, without the worry of overspending.
At Citizen’s Advice this holistic view of someone’s situation really gets to the root of the problem, rather than just looking at energy bill problems, as often there are other causes and reasons as to why fuel poverty arises in a household.
Watch the video to hear Shane’s story and how Citizens Advice enabled him a new life.
Need support or advice with energy bills? Contact Citizen’s Advice at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/budgeting1/get-help-with-bills/
