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Keeping vulnerable families warm over the winter lockdown
Neighbourhood energy groups, energy specialists and community organisations are coming together to raise funds to keep 200 families warm over lockdown.
Bristol Energy Network, an umbrella organisation for individuals and community groups with an interest in energy, is raising £10,000 to support those who may go cold and hungry without help.
People need energy to store and heat their food, charge laptops being used for work or school, stay connected through a charged phone and keep warm over the difficult winter months. The £10,000 raised by Bristol Energy Network will be spent of £50 fuel vouchers for 200 families in need.
At the end of 2020, members of Bristol Energy Network met and heard about how people are struggling with their fuel bills and the fundraiser is the response.
Funds raised will be distributed through community organisations, many of which have been running emergency food distribution since March and can send funds directly to those who need it most.
Bristol Energy Network are collaborating with a host of local groups to keep homes fuelled this winter. Photo: Lowie Trevena
“This is a Robin Hood operation,” say the team at Bristol Energy Network. “The crisis has worsened inequalities: zero hours contracts have tipped some people over the edge, but some who work from home save money by not going out or not going on holiday.
“Lockdown is stressful for all of us: let’s show we’re all in it together.”
The network will be working with Ambition Lawrence Weston, Baggator in Easton, The Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust. Re:work in Knowle West, the Bristol Disability Equality Forum, Heart of BS13, CHAS Bristol, Eastside Community Trust and ACORN Bristol.
The fundraiser has hit it target twice, in part due to a donation of £7,500 from Bristol Energy.
“The Bristol Energy Network and its partners are responding directly to those in fuel poverty in Bristol,” says mayor Marvin Rees. “This fundraiser gives us an opportunity to show that we support our neighbours who are going through a difficult time due to Covid-19. Let’s help keep Bristol warm, fed, and connected.’’
Heart of BS13 is one of the numerous groups involved. Photo: Heart of BS13
The £50 fuel voucher will keep families safe during the winter lockdown. £5 could run a fridge-freezer for four months, or means eight hours a day on the internet with a laptop for three months, or could pay for a dehumidifier to fight damp and mould for an hour a day during the two coldest months of the year.
“Energy is invisible – you pay your bill and it’s not in the forefront of your mind,” says Emilia Melville of Bristol Energy Network. “But energy is a basic need. Some people in Bristol are using way too much energy and need to reduce their consumption.
“Some people are not in a position to do that, and need to use more energy to stay connected, keep warm and heat food. It’s a real opportunity to connect together all those elements and bring some redistribution of wealth from people who have enough to people who don’t.”
Main photo: Lowie Trevena
Read more: Bristol ‘at most critical point’ in fight to tackle Covid
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