Posted on 14 January 2025
January can be tough - get in touch if you're struggling and need our support
“This time of year can be particularly tough financially and it’s really important that customers speak to us as soon as they start to struggle,” said Felicity Hunt, our Communities and Social Impact Director. “Anyone who feels they need help should call our Customer Service Centre in the first instance.”
Last year, Hyde Charitable Trust (HCT) awarded grants to 1,260 Hyde customers in difficulty, helping them pay for food and day-to-day essentials, and to pay their energy bills.
One customer we helped last year, Jay (not her real name), is a single parent of two young children, who was referred to our Energy Fund partner National Energy Action (NEA) for support.
Although she was receiving benefits, Jay was struggling to keep her children warm and fed. She owed her energy supplier about £2,000, and couldn’t afford the repayments on top of the monthly costs of £300. Jay was at significant risk of getting further into debt.
Jay’s NEA adviser helped her access a £300 grant from our Energy Fund, and a further £2,000 from NEA’s own fund, clearing her debt and giving her a fresh start with her energy bills. Jay was also given support to make her home more energy-efficient, so she could keep herself and her children warm, while reducing her bills.
“We know how important it is for people to have a safe, stable and comfortable home – it means people can hold down a job, their kids can go to school and they can stay healthy,” Felicity said.
“We’re committed to helping customers during the hardest of times and want everyone to know that we’re here to help. The earlier we know, the better.”
You can find lots of help and advice on our Helping Hand pages , including our cost of living helper, our Universal Credit helper, a benefit calculator and budgeting tools. And, if you’d like to speak to someone, please get in touch.