Getting winter ready
We have created this short guide to share some helpful information and resources from customers and colleagues on money, energy, food, health and safety.
Money
Energy
Food
Safety
Our top tips guide
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“Setting saving goals is important. Having clear saving goals can help you to save for the future, create an emergency fund or even go on holiday.”
Contacting us on live chat at homegroup.org.uk Contacting your support worker or housing manager Giving us a call on 0345 141 4663 You can also fill in a referral form.
Speak to our financial inclusion team, they can give you free, one-to-one support based on your situation.
Winter Fuel Payment If you were born before 23 September 1958, you could get either £200 or £300 to help pay your heating bills for winter. To be eligible, you must receive Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits.
Cold Weather Payment If eligible, this scheme for England begins on 1 November. It pays out £25 for each seven-day period the weather is recorded to be 0°C or below. It runs until 31 March.
Winter Heating Payment This has replaced Cold Weather Payment in Scotland. If eligible, the payment for winter is £58.75. You will get this payment automatically.
Winter payments for you
Have you tried our free benefits calculator? It will help you find out what benefits you can claim. Visit homegroup.entitledto.co.uk
Simple ways to save
Over 30 of our customers have shared their top tips for making smarter savings and shopping choices over winter and beyond.
“Monitor your spending to keep on track with your budgeting. Use apps or a notepad to monitor where your money goes.”
“Treat savings like an expense. Automatically transfer a set amount to your savings account as soon as you are paid.”
Smart savings
Shopping around
Cutting down
“Buy store brands and always take a shopping list.”
“Challenge price increases with suppliers for things like your broadband or insurance. A quick phone call can make a difference.”
“When online shopping, leave stuff in your basket for a little while. The company could send you a discount code.”
“Unsubscribe from sales emails and avoid browsing online stores. The less you see, the less you feel tempted.”
“Try delaying the decision to buy non-essential items for 24 hours, you could change your mind.”
“Consider whether you can cancel any subscriptions like Netflix and Spotify.”
Have you tried using our free budgeting tool? Visit budgetnew.entitledto.co.uk/homegroup to create your own personal budget plan.
Here are some tips to help keep your energy costs down in the colder months:
Cut energy costs
Use draft excluders for doors and insulation strips for windows These will stop cold air from coming into the room if you have gaps.
Keep your home at a constant temperature Around 18 to 21 degrees can help you stay warm and reduce your fuel bill.
Turn your thermostat down by just one degree This could cut your heating bills by 10%.
Never hang your washing on the radiators This reduces the amount of heat available to warm up the room.
Cook food with the lids on This reduces the amount of heat available to warm up the room.
Do not leave your electricals on standby By leaving that little red light on, you are wasting a surprising amount of electricity.
Do not overfill the kettle Boiling what you need will help save money and energy.
Turn off lights in rooms you are not using An easy thing to forget that makes all the difference to your bills.
Replace appliances with energy-efficient models This can save you money in the long run.
Chanelle is a Home Group customer and colleague. She has two young budding gymnasts who need plenty of food to keep them going and has shared some of her advice when it comes to food shopping.
Eating on a budget
Plan meals ahead Planning your meals for the week means you know exactly what to buy and you are less likely to waste food.
Make a shopping list Supermarkets are designed to get you to spend more than you planned. Take a shopping list with you to make sure you stick to your budget.
Shop wisely Supermarkets place the food they want you to buy at the end of aisles and at eye level. This might not be the best value so look around and compare prices.
Use apps to find a bargain Apps like Too Good To Go or Olio are great for preventing food waste and getting a bargain at the same time.
Do not shop when you are hungry We have all made the mistake of shopping on an empty stomach before. The hungrier you are, the more tempted you will be to buy things you do not need.
Read the label Comparing unit prices will help you decide which item is the cheapest.
Change your supermarket Compare supermarket prices and switch to a cheaper shop. If you have the time, shopping in a couple of supermarkets means you can choose the best deals each has to offer.
Using food banks We can help you get a food voucher and refer you to the Trussell Trust, who have the largest network of food banks in the UK. Visit trusselltrust.org to find out more.
Spotting scams
It is a great time to stay connected and shop online, but remember to look out for and report scams.
People see an increase in scam emails and text messages they receive around the holiday season. This could be that you have missed a parcel, related to current events, offering you something that is too good to be true or that your shopping account has been suspended due to suspicious activity.
Visit our website for more information on what is and is not considered anti-social behaviour and nuisance noise and how to report issues.
Anti-social behaviour and noise
Condensation can increase as it gets colder. While it is usually nothing to worry about, condensation can lead to damp and mould if left for too long. Our video will give you some tips to help you prevent condensation and mould in your home:
Prevent condensation and mould
Click to watch video
Ask yourself Do I recognise the sender? Is the grammar and company branding off? Do the links look genuine? Does the message make you panic? Does the message offer something in short supply? Are you expecting a message like this?
We will look to prevent issues from happening in the future. This may include working with other organisations to help improve your quality of life.
We will make sure our colleagues are trained so that the service you receive is the best it can be.
We then investigate using the appropriate legal powers available to us to help tackle issues.
We will agree an action plan and keep you up to date in a way that suits you.
We prioritise reports based on risk to the customers.
We acknowledge reports within one working day.
We will take steps to support anyone experiencing a problem.
We take reports of anti-social behaviour and nuisance noise seriously, which is why we follow this set of commitments:
Get in touch
We are here to help and there are lots of ways to contact us. Speak to us on live chat at homegroup.org.uk Email us at contactus@homegroup.org.uk Call us on 0345 141 4663 Our customer service centre is open: Monday – Friday: 8am to 6pm We recommend using My Home Account to track repairs and make payments, visit myaccount.homegroup.org.uk to log in or register.
