STORY: Billy’s accruing debt is resolved by Green Doctor in just one phone call
Difficulty turned into debt when Billy, who was struggling with the cost of living, started to fall behind with payments to his energy company. With the help of Groundwork’s Green Doctor Alison, Billy was quickly supported to resolve the situation. Now, he feels relieved, reassured and in control of his energy expenses.
From Liverpool, 58-year-old Billy had previously received practical support from Green Doctor Alison with energy saving advice. On that home visit Billy had mentioned that he was struggling to keep up with monthly direct debit payments to his energy company. As a result, he was barely putting the heating on to keep his bills down. Alison went through the various savings Billy could make by small behaviour changes and ordered him a heated throw through the Cadent Winter Support Fund to keep warm.
Billy recently reached back out to Green Doctor to see if they could help him manage some debt that had begun to accumulate. His situation was difficult: Billy had taken to using a nearby food bank for provisions since the little money he possessed was used for essential daily expenses. Then, he started missing payments to his energy company. In response letters asking for immediate payment arrived, causing Billy a lot of stress and worry! When Billy reconnected with Green Doctor, he hoped that they could advocate on his behalf to the supplier; he had already tried to reach an agreement without much success.
Green Doctor Alison visited Billy again. Not only did she know of his past struggles, but the trust built between the pair meant that Billy felt comfortable with her. Alison began the home visit by going through all the letters he had received and calculating his overall debt – which added up to over £800, alongside a missed payment charge. Billy simply couldn’t afford to pay this figure.
Together, Alison and Billy explored the different payment options and decided a pre-payment tariff would be best to help with budgeting, with more control over spending and having a gradual way to pay back accumulated debt. Alison made the call to his energy company, and the switch was completed remotely the same day!
Alison explained a way to manage Billy’s energy usage and budget, whilst paying off the debt. He was first shown how to download a mobile app to monitor energy usage in real-time, and then how to top up remotely if needed. Alison also told Billy about how he can access fuel vouchers in an emergency, ensuring Billy stored screenshots of the fuel voucher bar codes in his phone.
Billy told Alison that he felt nothing but relief that his struggles were resolved – and in just one phone call made by the Green Doctor! He found it intimidating when contacting his energy provider and lacked the knowledge or confidence to tackle this alone. Not only would his debt have increased, but his mental health would have suffered even more. Now thanks to Green Doctor ensuring he was on the right meter, Billy knows he cannot build up any further debt.
Billy said:
I am so grateful for the support Alison has given me. I think this service is invaluable and I am glad that I can approach them if any issues arise with my energy company. I know that they are a trusted source of information. Thank you once again Green Doctors.
No-one should ever have to choose between heating and eating, but we know this is the reality for increasing numbers of people. You can find out more information and pledge your support here.
About Stay Warm, Stay Well
Stay Warm, Stay Well is a three-year programme that aims to help those living in fuel poverty by offering tailored energy advice, carried out by Groundwork’s Green Doctors.
Funded by the Cadent Foundation and led in partnership by Groundwork, the programme will invest £6m and support 14,500 households in communities across England.
In addition to the Green Doctor support, the programme is also funding an initiative to support the creation of the next generation of energy advisors via a 12-month traineeship opportunity through the Green Doctor Academy, to create more accessible pathways into work.
Find out more: www.groundwork.org.uk/stay-warm-stay-well
