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Electric Throw scheme hailed a success

June 20, 2023

On 1st December, we launched a new pilot in conjunction with the Scottish Government’s Fuel Insecurity Fund, to give away electric throws to selected clients who had received a fuel voucher from us in the last 6 months.

Following the success of the scheme, the Welsh Government approached us about funding the scheme in Wales, which launched at the end of January.

The campaign was very successful and has been well received by the clients we have helped. The gift of an electric throw may seem like a small gesture, but it’s one we hope has made a big difference to a lot of people’s lives.

Electric throws are a more cost-effective way to keep warm as they cost very little to use. Research shows that the typical home could save around £300 per year by using an electric throw, rather than heating the whole house.

We carried out some research amongst those who were selected to receive an electric throw. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and demonstrated that people used their heating differently because of having the throw. It meant that people didn’t need to put the heating on in the whole house, with 66% of people saying they used the throw instead of putting their heating on at all.

As well as the warmth it gave, there was a definite feeling of enhanced resilience and reassurance, with some saying they slept better, felt less anxious and less stressed.

Here are some comments we’ve received from the people we’ve helped:

“Thank you so much for your help and kindness, helping myself and others out during these hard times.”

“I suffer with arthritis, so I need heat to reduce my pain. It helped with my mental health, and helped with my children, so they were warm. It was a godsend when I found out about it, I needed it then the most.”

“You have helped my family keep warm as we recovered from COVID.”

“We wouldn’t have survived without your help.”

“There aren't many people around me that are in the position to be able to help me at crisis point, but your organisation is filling the gaps for people like me. Thank you all at the Fuel Bank Foundation, for your hard work to make all this possible, and for the unmeasurable amount of stress you've taken off my shoulders and given me the breathing space to be able to just get by, this is priceless to me.”

“You’re just amazing, beautiful, kind souls. You have kept me and my children warm. You have helped me when my body aches. Like a distant silent cuddle.”

Due to its success, we are planning to run the scheme again this winter on a larger scale.

The electric throw scheme was funded by the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government’s Fuel Insecurity Fund.

Only people who received a fuel voucher from the Fuel Bank Foundation in the last six months were eligible for the scheme. Electric throws were limited to one per home.