More people than ever are struggling to keep on top of their bills. We estimate that 2.5 million people are behind on their broadband bills, Millions can’t afford water bills, and that 2.1 million households are behind on their energy bills
To support people, Citizens Advice Reading have been awarded some funding by Reading Borough Council to enhance the work we already do supporting people struggling with their bills. We will be promoting ways to cut the costs of utilities at home, and hope that you can help us expand our reach.
Water Bills
Thames Water offers support for people struggling to pay in the form of reduced charges, flexible payment schemes, payment matching schemes, water saving measures and a priority services register. Find out more on our Water page.
Gas and electricity
Gas and electricity bills continue to be an issue for a large number of people and we estimate that the number of households in energy poverty has increased by more than 600,000 since the start of the pandemic.
Our Energy for frontline workers page offer you comprehensive information on ways to support your clients in reducing their fuel bills. There are also details of our free online energy adviser training course and we offer support and training to frontline worker organisations, as well as referral routes to our specialist energy advisers.
Broadband and mobile data
Since the start of the pandemic, the term ‘data poverty’ has become more widely used. At Citizens Advice we believe that access to affordable data is an essential, and our Broadband and mobile data page gives simple ways of reducing costs, primarily through shopping around for the best packages on the market, or accessing one of the discounted packages available for people on certain benefits.
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