Hello
Further to correspondence on Twitter, it would be great if you could signpost people to the British Gas Energy Trust on your website.
The Trust covers England, Scotland and Wales and it is a charitable trust which gives free grants to people in financial hardship. The Trust gives grants for boiler repairs/replacements and also gas cookers amongst other things.
At present you do not need to be a British Gas customer to apply so the Trust is available to everyone regardless of who their energy supplier is. The only criteria for applying is financial hardship so even employed people can benefit from grants if they are eligible. You do not need to be in receipt of a particular benefit to apply.
Further information can be found on the website http://www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk People can apply online or they can request an application form and send it off freepost.
Some people on low incomes or benefits cannot always afford to replace a cooker or boiler if it breaks down and very often they will get into debt through payday loans or catalogues to budget for things they cannot afford so the Trust offers a real lifeline to those people as nothing has to be paid back.
I work for St. Helens Citizens Advice Bureau and we have received funding from the British Gas Energy Trust since 2011 so I specialise in helping people complete applications. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Michael Egan