“It was so nice when I called the Home Heat Helpline to actually speak to a real person who was glad to help instead of some voice telling me to press button something or other and wait in a queue for ten minutes.
“I’ve had ME for the last 18 years now. Five years ago it became more severe and I had to give up work. I’m completely housebound and because of my lack of mobility and vertigo problems I receive Disability Living Allowance. I get by as best as I can on a modest budget.
“It’s absolutely vital to me that I keep warm as the cold can make my illness much worse. When I started to hear about the big price increases for fuel on the radio I began to get a little worried so when I saw the Home Heat Helpline number in the phonebook I thought I’d give them a call.
“The advisor I spoke to was so friendly and helpful. She put me through to my energy provider straightaway and within a few minutes I’d been told that because of my disability I was eligible to be put on a care tariff which meant that for the rest of the year I wouldn’t receive any increases in my fuel bills. They also told me I was classed as being in fuel poverty because I spent over 10 per cent of my income on fuel so I’d be able to receive a 20 per cent discount each month.
“It means a lot to know that there’s organisations out there like the Home Heat Helpline doing their best to make life a bit better for disabled people. Because I called them I’m saving about £15 a month now, which will make a huge difference to me, but more than that I have peace of mind. I can put the heating on and not worry.”
For more testimonies just like Judith Cotterill, you can read each case study of the other people we’ve helped.