Help is on hand to get through the cold, dark winter

Contact our specialist Energy Team on 0800 448 0721 and we can see what help you might be able to get to improve your home’s health, and keep you warmer and safer over winter.  

Weather warnings. Power cuts. The energy price cap and rising energy bills. Boiler on the blink. The rising cost of living – heating or eating?

Simply keeping our houses warm and safe is an increasingly difficult but essential task, with bills and the cost of living only going one way. And at this stormy, wintry time of year, things can be particularly difficult.

Megan from our specialist Energy Team is here with some key information and advice to help you through the cold and dark winter, and don’t forget the team is on hand to talk through your unique circumstances and help you find ways to save money or tackle any debt on your utility bills.

Severe weather and power cuts

This winter has already seen multiple weather warnings issued, and with those severe weather events come the issues of power cuts, heating failures due to low temperatures and a whole new awareness of where your home might be letting in cold! There’s nothing like a really cold spell to make us feel those draughts.

Some things you can’t control, but you can be prepared for. Power cuts are much more likely in winter and our team’s funder, Northern Powergrid, is ready to tackle them. But huge parts of our region are isolated, rural and it may take a while to get the power back on.

So what can you do? Northern Powergrid has produced this list of top tips:

• Bookmark Northern Powergrid’s online power cut map and reporting service on your mobile devices.
• Have a charged mobile phone with important numbers saved, including 105, the free national power cut phoneline.
• Take a look at the new ‘Unplanned Power Cuts’ video here.
• Learn more about why your power may go off with the videos on this page.
• Turn off electrical appliances at the socket (this is particularly important for heating or cooking appliances as your power could be restored at any time and potentially cause a safety hazard).
• Keep one light switched on so you know when your power is restored.
• Keep a battery or wind-up torch handy – they’re much safer than candles.
• Check on your elderly or sick neighbours and relatives.
• Ensure you have warm clothing and blankets handy, and some food and drink in your home that does not require electricity to heat or prepare.
• Only call 999 in the event of an emergency.     
• If you spot fallen trees or damage to our overhead cables, stay well clear and call 105 immediately. 

And what about the things you can control? Draughts? Old dodgy boiler? Ring our specialist Energy Team on 0800 448 0721 and we can see what help you might be eligible for to improve your homes health, and keep you warmer and safer over winter.  

Are you in ‘fuel poverty’? We can help

What is fuel poverty?

As of 2025, National Energy Action found that approximately 6.1 million households or 15 million people were in fuel poverty, which is defined as “after housing costs, the total fuel costs needed to maintain a satisfactory heating regime are more than 10% of the household’s adjusted net income” (Office for National Statistics, 2023) – meaning this is affecting over 20% of the UK, with this set to increase.

This is leaving many households having to choose whether to heat their homes or buy food, clothing, transportation, prescriptions. There are many more difficult decisions to face. The Energy Team at Citizens Advice is here to empower and support you, including talking to your supplier on your behalf to help you solve any issues.

What is the energy price cap and how does it affect households?

The energy price cap is set on a quarterly cycle by energy regulator OFGEM, and it limits the maximum per-unit rate and standing charges for standard variable tariffs in the UK, which for January to March 2026 was an average of £1,758 (Direct Debit) or £1,711 (prepayment meters).

It is important to note that the price cap is not an overall cap on prices to be paid by a consumer – meaning that if you use more energy than the average bill, you will still pay more.

How can the Energy Team at Citizens Advice help?

The Energy Team is a specialist advice team specifically funded to help tackle fuel poverty and support those experiencing financial hardship as a result. We do this by assessing the income of the people we support by looking into what benefits and grants they may be eligible to claim to maximise their income, while also looking into the root cause of the fuel poverty.

This could include issues such as incorrect billing, unsuitable tariff choice from the supplier, faulty meters, more efficient ways of using energy in the home and more.

Key energy tips

There are lots of things that can be done around the home to reduce how much energy we use and these small changes can make a big difference across the year. For example: 

• Switching lights off when you leave a room can save approx. £14 a year 
• Fitting draught excluders can save approx. £20 a year 
• By reducing the water flow temperature of your boiler to 60 degrees, you can save up to £100 per year. 
• Line drying your clothes in the summer, rather than using a tumble dryer, can save approx. £35 per year. This is based on four months of line drying so this could be a bigger saving if you do it for longer. 
• Washing your clothes on a 30 degree wash rather than 40 degrees can save approx. £8 a year 
• Using energy efficient lightbulbs can save approx. £35 a year. 
• Turning your thermostat down by a degree or two can save approx. £80 a year! This is based on a gas heated 3-bedroom semi-detached house being reduced from 22 degrees to 21 degrees. 
• Fitting loft insulation can save approx. £135 a year 
• By taking a shower instead of a bath, you could save approx. £15 a year 
• By reducing your shower by one minute, you could save approx. £30 a year 
• Using a water efficient shower head could save approx. £35 a year 
• Reducing your washing machine and dishwasher usage by one time a week could lead to savings of approx. £10 a year per appliance. 
• Fitting radiator foils behind radiators on external walls can help direct heat into the room. This could save approx. £19 a year. 
• Only boiling the water you need in the kettle could save approx. £8 a year. 
• Turning appliances off at the wall, like your TV or phone charger, rather than leaving them on standby can save approx.. £30-40 per year. 

Contact numbers

Energy advice and support – Call 0800 4480721 (9am-4pm, Mon-Fri)

For general advice, such as on housing or benefit matters, or would like to request fuel vouchers, call the Citizens Advice Adviceline service on 0808 278 7981.   

If you are in need of support with food, please call the Help Through Hardship team on 0808 208138. The service is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.