Our energy advice service regularly supports young families who are struggling to heat their home, like Louise*. Our Share the Warmth campaign is raising money so that we can continue to support families with life-changing advice and solutions for many winters to come.

Louise is in her 30s and is a lone parent to two young children. They live in a cold and draughty family home in Bristol. Because of her low income and lack of support from family, Louise was frequently unable to heat their home or put food on the table.

Choosing between heating and eating

Louise had been relying on a foodbank, and her two children, Alice and Kai, regularly went to school hungry. Living in a cold home and not eating properly can have significant impacts on children’s performance at school, meaning they often missed out on the basics like reading and writing skills. Alice and Kai often lacked energy, struggled to make friends and felt sad.

The family were often ill because Louise couldn’t afford to set the heating higher than 15°C, 3°C lower than the recommended safe temperature. Having the heating below 16°C increases the risk of asthma and other respiratory conditions, as well as making a home feel cold and uncomfortable.

Louise’s mounting pressures and concern for her family

Worried about Alice and Kai, Louise reached out to CSE for support. Our approachable advisors listened to her situation with empathy and understanding. It was clear she was finding life difficult and was struggling to keep on top of everything.

To bring some immediate relief, we gave Louise vouchers to help with food and heating costs. Through our discussions, we found Louise was entitled to benefits she hadn’t been claiming, so we helped her apply. This will help her to be more financially secure in future.

We discovered her house was very cold because of poor insulation, meaning it leaked heat constantly. We secured grant funding and connected Louise with a local builder to arrange loft and cavity wall insulation to be installed. This upgrade will reduce heat loss, making Louise’s home cosy, reducing the energy needed to keep it warm and decreasing her bills.

Hope for the future

Thanks to our support, Louise is now feeling more positive and able to cope. With a warmer home, lower energy bills and more stable income – due to her claiming additional benefits – her family’s health will improve, and they can afford to eat properly and be comfortable at home.

*Name changed for privacy.