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800th Partner Joins Fuel Bank Network

September 30, 2024

Fuel Bank Foundation, the national fuel poverty charity, has expanded its UK partner network.

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) has become its 800th partner, marking a significant milestone for the charity.

The CWP Community Mental Health Team provides care for adults with severe and complex mental health conditions. As a Fuel Bank partner, it will be able to apply for emergency fuel voucher support from Fuel Bank Foundation on behalf of local people who are living without access to heat, light and power.

Fuel Bank Foundation is the only charity in the UK to provide emergency support to households with a prepayment energy meter. People that have run out or are at risk of running out of credit on their meter and can’t afford to top it up can apply for an emergency voucher via one of the charity’s 800 Fuel Bank Centres, which are operated in partnership with food banks, advice agencies, community groups and other charities.

Since it was started in 2015, Fuel Bank Foundation has supported more than 1.7 million people across the UK.

At its peak last winter, the charity provided support to more than 330,000 people in the UK. This winter, with the energy price cap due to increase on 1st October and fuel costs for households with a prepayment meter rising from £1,522 to £1,669 a year, Fuel Bank is expecting higher demand for its services.

Matthew Cole, head of Fuel Bank Foundation, said:

Living in extreme fuel poverty can have serious detrimental effects on mental health and physical wellbeing. The worry and anguish of not having the money to pay for gas and electricity can both cause and exacerbate mental health conditions. For people who are mentally ill, accessing the help and support they need can be difficult.

“CWP does an amazing job of caring for people in the community who are living with a range of complex mental health issues, and we’re pleased to be able to support the work the team does through this new partnership. As our eyes and ears on the ground, our partners are an integral part of Fuel Bank’s operations, ensuring support reaches the people who need it most.”

Nicola Connor, participation and engagement lead at CWP, based at The Stein Centre in Tranmere, Wirral, said:

Our Community Mental Health Team, which comprises skilled staff, from consultant psychiatrists to social workers, provides assessment, diagnosis, treatment and follow up care to people with a range of mental health conditions in a community setting. Joining the Fuel Bank partner network adds another string to our bow, enabling us to expand the services we offer patients as part of our integrated approach.

Fuel Bank was started as a pilot project to help low-income households that couldn’t afford to top up their prepayment meters. Due to its success and the level of demand for emergency financial support, the scheme was rolled out across England, Scotland, and later Wales and Northern Ireland.

Paul Pickhaver runs Kingston Foodbank in Kingston upon Thames, which was the first partner to join Fuel Bank back in 2015. He said:

Through my work at the foodbank and understanding the people who come to us for help, I realised that more needed be done to help customers on prepayment meters. They were coming to us for food but, because of their financial situation, were often also struggling to put credit on their gas or electricity meter. There’s no point having food in your fridge if the fridge is turned off because there’s no electricity or you can’t cook it because the gas is off.

“Matthew Cole came to see the work we were doing and together we came up with the fuel voucher scheme. It’s great to see Fuel Bank has gone from strength to strength and is continuing to help hundreds of thousands of households in fuel crisis every year. I’m proud to have played a part in setting it up and remain a passionate supporter and advocate for the work it does.”