Npower pilots scheme to help fuel-poor households

Npower will trial a scheme to support fuel-poor households on prepayment meters by giving them money for gas and electricity, whether or not they are Npower customers.

Npower’s ‘fuel banks’ will be placed in existing food banks, where people will receive a £49 credit to top up their gas and electricity meter.

The initiative will be piloted in 21 locations in Durham, Kingston-upon-Thames and Gloucester and, if successful, will be extended nationwide.

Npower head of policy and obligations Matthew Cole said the trial could be an “important breakthrough” by providing “immediate and hassle-free support to households where often the choice is between food or warmth”.

Campaign groups have long been calling on the government and energy companies to do more to tackle fuel poverty.

In March last year, a document published by fuel poverty charities National Energy Action (NEA) and Energy Action Scotland (EAS), alongside Consumer Futures, warned that unless “urgent action” is taken targets to eradicate fuel poverty will be missed.

In October, campaign group Fuel Poverty Action called on the government and energy suppliers to sign up to their “Energy Bill of Rights”, which states that to tackle fuel poverty a “right to affordable energy”, as well as preventing disconnections and self-disconnections was needed.

Earlier this month, Scottish Power announced a £5.2 million fund to help financially-challenged customers, offering financial support to eligible consumers by clearing or reducing energy debts on their Scottish Power accounts.

In the same week, Eon launched a £6 million fund to help people who are struggling to pay their energy bills, even if they are not Eon customers.