£50 for finding elderly and vulnerable customers in need of free insulation

£50 for finding elderly and vulnerable customers in need of free insulation

Hundreds of pounds are up for grabs to anyone who refers vulnerable family, friends and neighbours to British Gas for free loft or cavity wall insulation.

Under the plans announced today, people will be given £50 for every individual on qualifying benefits(1)they refer to British Gas for free insulation. The money will be paid once the installation has been completed and there is no limit on the number of people they can refer.

As well as getting free insulation which will save them hundreds of pounds off their energy bills each year, the referred customer will also be paid £50 once the installation has been completed. Both the referrer and the customer receiving the insulation do not need to buy their gas or electricity from British Gas to qualify for the deal.

Loft insulation can save households up to £175 from their heating bills and cavity wall insulation can save up to £135 (2). According to DECC,nearly half of Britain’s homes do not have adequate basic insulation. Only 57% of Britain’s lofts have been properly insulated and only 58% of cavity walls have been filled.

The deal builds on British Gas’s other current free offers on insulation. Currently all British Gas energy and services customers are also eligible for free insulation. Last year British Gas spent £70million helping vulnerable customers - 40% of the £178.7m total spent by the ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers in the UK – and much more than its market share.

Customers interested in taking up the offer should call the British Gas insulation team on 0800 975 1195 and they will arrange for a free survey at a convenient time for the customer. Calls must be made by the customer who is having the insulation installed and they should give the details of the person who referred them.

Jon Kimber, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy, said:

“With household budgets stretched we know that people are looking at ways to save money. £1 in every £4 spent on heating is wasted due to poor insulation so energy efficiency can have a massive impact.

“We want to get people looking out for others who need help. That’s why we’re offering £50 to anyone who refers vulnerable family, friends or neighbours to us for free insulation. We’ll also pay the vulnerable customer £50 for having the free insulation installed”.

Jenny Saunders, Chief Executive of National Energy Action, said:

"I applaud this offer from British Gas which aims to deliver energy saving measures to the poorest households and at the same time reward those who are identifying and helping more vulnerable members of our communities."

Notes

  1. To qualify as a vulnerable customer eligible for the deal, the customer has to meet one of the three following rules:

(i) They need to be in receipt of either the State Pension Credit; or

(ii) Be in receipt of the Child Tax Credit with an income below £16,190; or

(iii) Be on one of the following income related benefits (Income Based Jobs Seekers Allowance, Income Support or Income Related Employment Support Allowance Credit) AND one of the following (parental responsibility for a child under five, Child Tax Credit including a disability, a Disabled Child Premium, A Disability Premium or a Pensioner Premium).

  1. According to the Energy Saving Trust, loft insulation can save homes £175 a year from the energy bills and cavity wall insulation can save £135 a year. (http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/In-your-home)
  2. Full details on DECC’s findings can be found here -http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/stats/energy/energy-efficiency/1918-statistical-release-home-insulation-0611.pdf and here http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn11_068/pn11_068.aspx
  3. Terms and conditions apply: http://www.sharethewarmth.co.uk/terms