Getting help with your energy bills
Fuel poverty affects the most vulnerable residents in our communities. It can have serious impacts on their wellbeing, especially for:
- young children
- people with reduced mobility
- people aged over 65
- people with a health condition
As a council, we are committed to helping our residents reduce their fuel bills and keep warm and well.
There are several schemes available to Birmingham residents, including:
- free installation of central heating
- switching energy suppliers
- support with fuel debts
- energy saving measures
- energy efficient appliances
Help from your energy supplier
Citizens Advice has a list of energy companies that offer grants to help pay for energy bills.
The following organisations also have schemes to help customers struggling to pay their energy bills:
British Gas Energy Fund also might be able to support you, regardless of your energy supplier.
Energy Company Obligation
Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires energy suppliers to set aside a fund to install energy saving measures. These help households cut their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions. It is aimed at owner occupiers and private rented tenure households.
The scheme may support those who are not eligible for some of the other means-tested schemes but are vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.
Councils can set the eligibility criteria for which households are supported by the scheme. They must also publish a statement of intent that outlines this criteria.
Download Birmingham City Council's Statement of Intent.
Help from the council
We can award you a crisis grant to help you with topping up your gas and electricity pre-payment meter. To get one, you must show that you have already asked your energy supplier for help.
If we award you a crisis grant, a pre-payment card will be available for you to collect.
Help from other providers
LEAP
LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership) can provide help and advice with:
- energy switching
- free energy saving measures
- money advice
They can also check if you are eligible for insulation, a new appliance, or a new boiler.
Please phone LEAP on 0800 060 7567 or apply for LEAP online.
ECHO
ECHO (Emergency Central Heating Offer) is a scheme that offers emergency help to fuel poor or vulnerable households. They help to repair or replace broken or condemned boilers.
This scheme is available to owner occupiers only.
HEART
HEART is an initiative to support fuel poor and vulnerable households. They help replace old and inefficient appliances with modern and efficient ones.
This includes:
- fridges
- fridge freezers
- washing machines
- electric cookers
ECO Flex
ECO Flex (Energy Company Obligation Flexible Eligibility) is a government scheme. They provide funding for energy efficiency improvements in the home.
They help to make home improvements such as:
- installing a new central heating system
- upgrading the existing heating system and insulation
For questions about Eco Flex, you can email AgilityEco at birminghamsoi@agilityeco.co.uk.
Help from the government
Winter fuel payments are available in the winter months. Pensioners can get between £100 and £300 to help pay their heating bills.
Cold weather payments are available if you receive certain benefits and the temperature is 0 degrees or below for more than 7 days.
You may also be eligible for help to heat grants if you are a home owner-occupier.
Energy saving boilers
Money Saving Boiler Challenge will save you money and energy by changing a single setting on your boiler.
Many UK combi boilers burn more gas, generate more carbon emissions, and cost more in energy bills than they need to.
Research shows that by adjusting the boiler flow temperature to 60 degrees or below, households will save money on their energy bill. They will also save an average of 172kg in carbon emissions.
Page last updated: 31 March 2023
