Cost of living crisis: Advice on heating and eating for Calderdale residents facing hike in bills this autumn

With fuel bills set to rise from October, Calderdale Council staff will be working with partners to offer help and advice including a partnership event focusing on heating and eating.

A refreshed version of the council’s anti-poverty action plan – which has three strands, prevention, intervention and resilience – will be agreed this month and informed by the cost of living crisis.

Cabinet member for Climate Change and Resilience, Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) reported to full council that an Anti-Poverty Partnership event will take place on September 22.

The first face-to-face partnership meeting since the COVID outbreak in March 2020, it will focus on “heating and eating”.

Meanwhile the council’s fuel poverty group has been renamed the affordable warmth forum and is planning a social media campaign using hashtag #fuelyourknowledge which will be about energy saving.

Calderdale’s new money and debt forum is offering budgetary advice to front line staff and is readying a “cash first” advice leaflet for publication.

A front line “cost of living” worker fact sheet and affordable warmth guide is also being issued, with the aim being to increase knowledge of support which is available, with a money and debt forum also now formed.

Staff are supporting all these groups, with a dedicated page on the council’s website (www.calderdale.gov.uk) offering advice to people on money matters ranging from utility bills to food and more, he said.