Following last week’s Big Energy Week, Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, supports the Consumer Focus and Energy UK campaign on how consumers can save money by better insulation and ensuring they are on the best tariff.

Taking advantage of free or discounted loft and cavity wall insulation offered by energy suppliers can save consumers an average £120 off their bill every year, and switching to direct debit alone could save around a further £100 each year.

Updated Government figures show that 9.6 million homes don’t have enough loft insulation and 7.8 million do not have enough cavity wall insulation – that’s one in every four homes.

Every major supplier is offering free or cut price deals for loft and cavity insulation, yet not enough people are claiming these deals. Currently 100,000 households are taking up these deals each month when some 200,000 households could be taking advantage of them.

Dr Lee commented: “I encourage constituents to contact their energy suppliers and ask if they would qualify for free or discounted insulation. Bracknell Constituents can also check if they are on the best tariff with their energy supplier. This can save money.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell chaired the parliamentary launch of “The Future of EU: Environmental Policy: Challenges and Opportunities” report in the House of Commons on Tuesday 24^th of January 2012. The speakers at the event were David Baldock, Executive Director at IEEP and Peter Unwin, Director General, Environment and Rural Group at Defra.

Dr Lee commented: “As the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Environment Group I was pleased to launch this very good and informative report on the challenges and opportunities of EU policy.  Europe is an essential global player in shaping overall targets and leading the way on environmental policy. It is a hugely complex area. Both speakers did a fantastic job at answering difficult questions.”

As a member of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee (EEC), Dr Phillip Lee MP for Bracknell, questioned Daniel Green, Chief Executive Officer at HomeSun, and Howard Johns, Chairman of the Solar Trade Association. At the public meeting on Tuesday 29^th of November 2011 in the House of Commons Dr Lee was seeking evidence from the witnesses’ as part of the solar feed-in tariffs inquiry. He suggested that subsidising energy efficiency is more important than subsidising a generation of solar energy products imported from China.

New figures reveal that in Bracknell Constituency 4,000 homes, are entitled to some form of assistance with their fuel bills. That help is worth an average of £250 per household and a free helpline is available for more information.

Lending his support to the campaign, Dr Lee commented: “Around 4,000 homes in Bracknell are entitled to some form of support. Anyone who is concerned about staying warm should call the Home Heat Helpline and seek advice. I would also ask people to look out for neighbours, friends or relatives who may be in difficulty and make sure that they are aware of the Home Heat Helpline.”

The number for the Home Heat Helpline is 0800 33 66 99 or you can visit www.homeheathelpline.org.uk. It is a free service that provides independent advice to people on low incomes on how to get help with their gas and electricity bills as well as other help such as grants for insulation or a new boiler.

Christine McGourty from the Home Heat Helpline also advises people to think about what they can do around the home to reduce their energy consumption: “As well as calling the Home Heat Helpline to find out what financial assistance is available there are some other simple steps people can take. For example:  

• turn radiators down in rooms which you only use occasionally
• switch your lights off when you’re not using them
• turn appliances like TVs and phone chargers off at the wall rather than leaving them on standby when they’re not being used
• replace normal light bulbs with energy efficient ones
• regularly defrost your freezer to make sure it’s operating at full efficiency
• draw curtains over windows at night to provide insulation for the room
• move furniture away from radiators and heaters to allow heat to circulate around the room
• open internal doors of any rooms which get more sun than others and let the warm air travel around your home”

As a Member of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell is calling on constituents to winter-proof their homes and their finances to keep energy costs down.

Currently, around £1 of every £4 spent on heating our homes is wasted because of a lack of adequate insulation. And with over 6 million cavity walls unfilled, and 10 million lofts left unlagged, huge amounts of money is being wasted.  Dr Lee says: “If people in Bracknell Constituency take action and get the free energy efficiency that they are entitled to, then they can save themselves hundreds of pounds every year. If they act now they can be ready long before winter.”

Customers of British Gas can take advantage of the company’s offer to insulate their homes free if they apply before 22nd December 2011. Customers on lower incomes, whoever their supplier is, can also call a special helpline to see if they are eligible for free insulation or discounted bills (the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 980 8177).

As well as winter-proofing their homes, Dr Lee is also urging constituents to winter-proof their finances by applying for all the benefits they are entitled to. £1 in every £4 of the benefits available go unclaimed – a staggering £12.7 billion a year. The largest pots available are income support; pension credit; housing benefit; council tax benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance. However, there are a host of other benefits, including a new Warm Homes Discount, which will give every person on pension credit an energy bill rebate of £120.

“With more than 50 government benefits available, it can be an absolute minefield for anyone trying to claim what is actually legally theirs”, the MP warns. “Charities such as Citizen’s Advice and Age UK are able to talk you through what you may be eligible for and even apply on your behalf – I would urge people to give them a call or drop in to a centre. There are a number of ways you can cut bills and claim benefits if you speak to the experts” Dr Lee recently met with these charities at an Open Day at the House of Commons, where he discussed what support was available for stretched household budgets during the winter months.