Bernard was referred to Act on Energy towards the end of last year. He lives alone in a 3-bedroom house that he grew up in and inherited when his parents passed away. Unfortunately, with the age of the property and Bernard’s declining health, his home has passed its prime which leaves him feeling the effects of Winter weather. Luckily, a healthcare professional recognised how the upcoming cold weather would affect Bernard, and they submitted a professional referral for us to contact him.

Our energy advisors phoned Bernard to discuss his situation and talked him through a few things that he could do. They were happy to hear that he was already sending regular meter readings to his supplier to ensure that his energy bills were accurate, and that he was already on the Severn Trent Big Difference scheme, which gave him reduced water bills. During the call, Bernard said that his main concerns were the constant damp that he was experiencing throughout his home, and how he was struggling to keep it warm. Our energy advisors decided that a home visit would be beneficial to Bernard, so that one of our outreach officers could examine his property and give him advice specific to his circumstances.

Dorian visited Bernard later that month and was able to assess the root of the issues. The 40-year-old double glazing in the property had blown, which meant that there was water around most of his windows. Dorian talked Bernard through the HIVE acronym, which explains how condensation is created and how to reduce it. Luckily, Act on Energy periodically receive access to funds to help vulnerable clients and, in the run-up to Winter 2024/25, the Cadent Foundation partnered with us to deliver a number of support measures such as dehumidifiers. Dorian was able to get a free dehumidifier for Bernard to help reduce the damp in his property and gave him a fuel voucher for £70 to help with the cost of running it.

The other issue that Bernard faced was that, due to the poor insulation in the property, he struggled to get his home above 18-19°c because the heat disappeared through the walls, roof and windows. Usually this temperature would be fine for an active adult but, due to Bernard’s health issues and age, the recommended property temperature is around 21°c. With Bernard’s already limited lung capacity and shortness of breath, a simple cold could have serious consequences. Dorian gave Bernard an electric blanket (which costs around 1p/hour to run) and a fleece throw to ensure that he could keep warm, even if his property wasn’t.

Bernard was delighted! He thanked Dorian in person and phoned our line to thank the energy advisors for their initial support. He phoned his supplier to ask about the Warm Home Discount and applied for the insulation schemes that Dorian recommended, both of which he wouldn’t have known about without the advice that he received. In fact, Bernard couldn’t believe the amount of information he didn’t already know about his energy usage and what support was out there, and he was so happy now that he did know.

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