Collaboration leads to communities that thrive

by Ollie Gray, business development director, Charis

When the EPG Energy Price Guarantee was introduced last autumn by the flash-in-a-pan Liz Truss government, it was set to run for two years, from October 2022 to September 2024.

We all know what happened to Liz - and her EPG promise was also cut short (maybe not quite as short as her tenure in number 10).

Looking back over the winter months of 2022/23, most of the funds and grants allocated to households to help them with rising energy costs have been akin to trying to stop leaking water from a pipe with a roll of tissue. Many households quickly achieved saturation when it came to what they could afford. Although, in part, this was due to the fact that energy prices increased beyond the additional support that was offered, it was also down to the fact that inflation was peaking at over 10 per cent, interest rates had shot up, and in general overall household income was squeezed on all sides, with no equivalent increase to household income.

A report from last July written by the Chartered Institute of Housing cited how 68% of social tenants were concerned about meeting their monthly expenses - with many turning to unsecured and unregulated loans and credit services to make up the gap.

It is clear that a debt tsunami is looming large on the horizon.

With a 27.5% increase in the distribution of energy vouchers through our Charis Shop over the last year, this highlights that the rising cost of living has had a severe impact on the most vulnerable in our society.

And although wholesale energy prices appear to be falling, there is still a significant time lag before the benefits of these reductions are felt by households across the UK.

Generally, communities across the country have demonstrated a sense of resilience and coming together - but the compounding impact on the mental and physical health of householders will continue to build as the pessimism of the coming winter months starts to weigh heavy. Significant emphasis is still being placed on continuing to put more support into place.

Image © AdobeStock

Information is key
Organisations such as Charis, the Fuel Bank Foundation and National Energy Action have a myriad of resources aimed at helping households be more energy usage conscious. The more you can pass on this information to your residents, the more they can empower themselves to make small but often impactful changes that will affect their overall consumption.

Property Maintenance
While much of the property maintenance housing associations carry out is key to creating a safe, efficient and insulated home for your residents, your residents can also do a lot to help further insulate their homes.

From hanging curtains to insulating pipes, tanks and radiators, some of the simplest ‘tweaks’ can make a big difference. Through the Charis Shop, residents can apply for DIY and home essentials, which cover everything from soft furnishings and home textiles to white goods.

Taking a partnership approach
Charis has a well-established reputation for working in partnership with different agencies to help them administer targeted schemes for maximum impact. Annual programmes such as Let’s Talk Energy and collaboration with the government on the Warm Homes Discount scheme are designed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, and often the most forgotten, in our communities.

And while providing emergency food and fuel vouchers is a key part of Charis’ overall strategy, we also like to get involved with schemes which have a more proactive and empowering focus.

For example, working closely with organisations such as Sovereign and its Thriving Communities programme, or the Clarion Ready2Work scheme, Charis hopes to put the emphasis back on the individuals and communities taking back control. Whether it is providing training to get back into the workplace, setting up well-being initiatives for communities, or providing debt management counselling sessions, Charis ensures that the back-end administrative platform is versatile, robust, and fully compliant with any necessary regulation.

The warmer months might mean less firefighting. This gives us the space to start rebuilding for all and be ready for next winter.

www.charisgrants.com

Ollie Gray Image © Charis