Better Housing Better Health Service

Better Housing, Better Health is a longstanding service working to reduce the number of people in fuel poverty and improve domestic warmth & wellbeing. Their experienced team provides free, confidential, and tailored solutions to meet a home’s specific circumstances including switching energy suppliers, maximising income, signing up to the Priority Services Register, and accessing funding to help support them.

BHBH are currently issuing Emergency Fuel Vouchers worth £49 for anyone on a prepayment meter who is struggling to top up, up to six vouchers per household. There is no eligibility criteria for their service, and the only criteria to qualify for a Fuel Voucher is that the resident pays for energy by prepayment meter, which means absolutely anyone who pays for their energy via a prepayment meter can access nearly £300 worth of funding from them. If any of your service users want to access their fuel vouchers, you will need to make a referral through their website www.bhbh.org.uk/

As part of their service, they have a helpline that’s free to call where their team can give valuable tips on how to stay warm at home, provide free home energy visits, sign up those in need of additional support to the Priority Services Register and access grants for energy efficiency grant funding.

BHBH also offer a comprehensive case management service for residents going through Energy Efficiency funding for insulation or heating system replacements, like ECO4 or GBIS. They work closely with a network of over 60 Trust Mark registered and fully vetted installers across the country, putting residents in contact with the installer and being a point of contact the whole way through application and installation. The installers they work with will also help with the filling out of application forms for these schemes.

In addition to this BHBH offer a Small Measures grant, where they can provide fully funded energy efficiency items to reduce energy bills. This can cover things like draught exclusion measures, electric blankets, thermal curtains, and measures for damp and mould issues. This is very easy to access, and their advisors can run through what is available and will help complete applications for your tenants.

If you think this service would be of help to any of your clients you can refer them to BHBH online at www.bhbh.org.uk/make-a-referral/ or they can call the free helpline number on 0800 107 0044