Energy Advice

Hamilton CAB offers specialist advice, support and negotiation on a wide range of energy related issues. The advice and assistance we provide includes:

• billing and meter issues
• fuel debts
• grant applications
• green deal mis-selling
• emergency credit for prepayment meters
• simple energy saving measures
• comparing energy tariffs
• switching supplier

We understand that dealing with energy related issues can be time consuming and stressful. We have strong links with energy companies to ensure that issues are resolved as quickly as possible. 

We can also provide Energy Awareness Workshops or talks to local community groups, organisations and frontline workers. If this is something you would be interested in arranging please get in touch. 

Our energy advice is currently funded through Energy Best Deal. This campaign is designed to help consumers to save money on their energy and is funded by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), Scottish Power, Npower and British Gas. 

How we helped Bill

Names have been changed to protect their identify

Bill is a 90 year old man, who has a number of health issues and also cares for his 86 year old wife, Jean, who is housebound and has various health issues. He had been receiving letters from his supplier since May 2018 stating that there were missing payments on his account and there was a large outstanding bill of £900. 

He had tried to deal with this himself but was getting nowhere and eventually agreed to his supplier fitting a prepayment meter to recover the debt. He didn’t agree that he owed the outstanding debt but he wanted to stop all the demand letters. The engineer attended his property to fit the meter in November 2018 but advised Bill that he felt that this wasn’t suitable for him and that he should contact Citizens Advice for assistance.

Bill was referred to the energy adviser and a home visit was arranged. A prepayment meter was not appropriate for Bill and Jean as they struggled to get out and top up the meter. They were at risk of getting cut off which was very worrying for them. 

Bill and Jean agreed to us contacting the supplier on their behalf. We spoke to the social policy department who agreed that the prepayment meter should not have been fitted. They arranged to have it removed and replaced it with a standard meter. Following our intervention, the supplier agreed to write off the remaining balance of £650 due to the stress and inconvenience this had caused Bill and Jean. 

It was also identified that Jean was eligible to claim Attendance Allowance due to her health problems. We assisted Jean to make the claim and she was awarded the higher rate which gave her an extra £85.60 per week.