EDF Energy to fund new Energy Debt Advice service
EDF Energy, one of Britain's leading energy companies, has announced a new nationwide partnership with Citizens Advice, the largest providers of independent debt advice in the UK.
The energy company will fund the Energy Debt Advice service, which will offer its customers free access to independent advice on how to deal with household debts through Citizens Advice. Help will be tailored to suit each individual's needs, ranging from providing general information to carrying out detailed casework to assist the customer in resolving their financial issues.
Customers who wish to use the service will find the free phone number advertised on their EDF Energy bills and letters. The service will be completely confidential and independent of EDF Energy. It has been designed to take a holistic approach to each customer's financial situation, as the combined experience of both EDF Energy and Citizens Advice shows that those struggling with energy bills often have other household debts.
EDF Energy will fund the staffing of the Energy Debt Advice service contact centre, including two debt caseworkers, one supervisor/trainer, a part-time administration assistant and a team of ten full-time equivalent volunteers,. For the first year, the project will include a part-time Energy Development worker in the Plymouth Citizens Advice Bureau to continue the successful EDF Energy Devon and Cornwall fuel poverty partnership. It is estimated that around 10,000 households a year have benefited from this placement alone.
The sponsorship will also fund a part-time specialist fuel debt adviser in the Citizens Advice's national specialist support team to train and support frontline workers in the network of bureaux across the country on fuel debt issues so they can support EDF Energy customers more effectively nationwide.
Martin Lawrence, Managing Director, Energy Sourcing and Customer Supply, EDF Energy, said:
"EDF Energy has worked with Citizens Advice for a number of years, beginning with funding the first energy advice development post at the Plymouth Citizens Advice Bureau. We are delighted to develop this successful relationship further by financing the Energy Debt Advice service and the new positions it requires, so we can offer our customers direct support from the organisation.
"EDF Energy has a well-established history of helping those in need when it comes to paying their energy bills and has gone beyond regulatory obligations to support customers struggling to pay energy bills and to keep warm.
"We understand that issues with debt can be extremely stressful but we know we have found the right partner with Citizens Advice to help people having problems with their household bills, particularly those in fuel poverty."
Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice (England & Wales), said: "Around 100,000 people sought advice from Citizens Advice on energy debts last year, showing that this is a significant cause of concern. Against the context of rising utility prices and some exceptionally cold temperatures to contend with vulnerable customers on low incomes need all the help they can get to ensure they aren't forced to choose between heating their homes or getting into arrears so we are delighted EDF Energy are funding this service."
The Citizens Advice partnership is part of EDF Energy's ongoing commitment to help its customers with their energy bills, as demonstrated in our ‘Sustainability Commitments', one of the biggest packages of social and environmental initiatives announced by any UK energy company. Overall, EDF Energy will be spending £27 million over 2011/12 to support its most-in-need and was the only major supplier to announce a price freeze on all our standard tariffs over winter.
There are currently over 165,000 customers continuing to benefit from EDF Energy's discounted Energy Assist tariff for vulnerable customers. The company has also donated £17m to the industry's first independent trust fund, the EDF Energy Trust Fund, making over 20,000 awards to customers in serious household debt since its inception. This already includes the sponsorship of nine Citizens Advice Bureaux via the fund. As a result, the company has exceeded its commitment to continue to donate at least £1.5 Million a year to the Trust Fund until 2012.