This project supported 141 families with young children in fuel poverty, by advising vulnerable and low income families of ways in which they can reduce their home energy costs and be more energy efficient. This project provided drop-in advice sessions, across 15 Children’s Centres across Berkshire, on how to reduce home energy costs. Training was provided to 23 family support workers and 45 families were supported in claiming the Warm Home Discount of £140, which levered in £6,300 of income to low income families that they would not have otherwise received.

There are pockets of considerable deprivation in areas across Berkshire, and this project targets low income families in those areas attending Children’s Centres. Ten of the sessions were in the Slough area, which has the highest index of multiple deprivation in Berkshire. A report published 2015, echoed the government statistic that over 1 million families were in fuel poverty, 45% of those in fuel poverty in the UK. In their survey 78% of families said they struggled with their energy bills last year, 75% struggled to heat their homes so no-one felt cold, 75% of families said cold homes were harming their children’s health, and 53% said cold homes were impacting their children’s school work.