Energy Advice Programme The Big Energy Saving Network is made up of local community groups and charities that advise on saving energy in the home, switching energy suppliers, tariffs and access to support to help households stay warm and attain lower energy bills. This year, the network engaged a more diverse group of consumers, reaching in particular more people under 55, including young families, first-time renters and people in or at risk of fuel poverty. Our Big Energy Saving Network programme helped 16,500 people in 2020 to 2021. Despite needing to move away from face-to-face appointments, 90% of our clients found the service easy to access and 3 in 4 said the advice helped them to keep their home warmer. At £4.1 million, the amount saved by consumers was significantly higher this year than last. How our advice helped David David was a housing association tenant, living in a flat with his partner and 2 young children. Over the winter, their fuel bills increased considerably, at the same time their income dramatically fell after they had to close the shop they ran due to the pandemic. This meant they had to be careful about budgeting and, through our promotion work with the local council, they found out about the Big Energy Saving Network. Through a telephone appointment, our adviser helped David save £252 annually by switching to a cheaper energy tariff and to apply for the Warm Home Discount. * *Names and certain details have been changed or omitted to preserve client anonymity. The Energy Advice Programme is delivered by 120 local Citizens Advice across England and Wales. We delivered 12,500 sessions to fuel-poor consumers and those who were struggling to pay their bills, providing guidance on how to secure better deals on energy and the most appropriate payment methods. We also gave out information on accessing help from energy suppliers and the government. Big Energy Saving Week 31 How we’re helping people