Centre for Warmth supports Bangladeshi community with practical support and advice on energy bills and energy efficiency

Photo: Google, DigitalGlobe

The Bangladesh Association and Community Project (BACP)

A new Centre for Warmth in Rochdale is helping the Bangladesh Association and Community Project (BACP) to provide access to expert advisors who can help with income maximisation, financial assistance with energy bills, as well as energy efficiency, and gas safety advice.  

BACP has been in existence for around 50 years, starting life in a small terraced house before moving to a three-story building on the site of a former pub in Ramsay Street. It offers advice and training services, youth projects and other initiatives. Although the project’s core audience is the Bangladeshi community, it offers access to services to anybody who visits the centre.  

Although BACP receives core funding towards running costs, this only meets a small part of its needs. It has recently had to cut service windows and opening days in order to make ends meet, and needed extra help in order to deliver particular services. 

With funding from Cadent, BACP now employs four additional part-time workers, one focusing on youth and elderly wellbeing, one on community development and outreach, one on activities for women and one on welfare advice.  

Cadent, which manages the local gas network in Rochdale and Greater Manchester, has invested nearly £140,000 from its Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance to help fund the Centres for Warmth projects in Greater Manchester, of which £60,000 went to BACP. The fund is agreed by energy regulator Ofgem to support networks in helping those in need. The centres aim to support over 4,000 people this winter.  

Habibul Ahad, Centre Manager at BACP, said: “We asked Cadent to help us fund an outreach worker, and they gave us a lifeline – we actually got more money than we asked for and now we are back to five days a week with some additional activities taking place at weekends too. It is a new beginning for us. 

“Many people will be anxious about the cost of energy bills this winter. Our centre will provide a safe space where we can support vulnerable members of the local community with advice and assistance during what could be a difficult winter. By sharing advice about energy-saving tips and directing people to the financial support they may be entitled to, our centre could make a big difference to people this winter.”  

Other community projects managed through the Centres for Warmth include linking up with local schools to deliver gas safety education programmes, as well as running themed events throughout the year, including energy efficiency advice sessions and cookery lessons showcasing cost-efficient recipes. 

Cadent has also invested over £100,000 in its ‘Services Beyond the Meter’ programme to support people across the North West region as part of its Fuel Poverty and Financial Hardship programme, helping to safely restore the gas supply to appliances condemned as unsafe in the homes of customers in vulnerable situations.   

Jenny Moten, Director of Network, North West, Cadent, commented: “As well as providing practical support for the most vulnerable people in our North West community, we’re committed to helping all families and individuals save money on their energy bills, while staying safe and well. By making small changes to use energy more efficiently around the home, these can add up to real savings on energy bills which is a big concern for many households right now.” 

Working with partners including the Energy Saving Trust, Cadent is sharing the following advice:    

• Turning down the heating thermostat by just one degree could save you £145 on energy bills every year. To help keep you safe and well, your thermostat should be set between 18-21°C. 
• Switching off lights and appliances when not in use could save £90 on energy bills per year. Turning off lights when you’re not using them or when you leave a room could save you around £25 a year and switching appliances such as TVs, computers and games consoles off standby mode could save you £65 a year 
• Putting a lid on the pan while cooking on a gas hob can save money on your energy bills this year. Water will boil faster and the lid keeps the heat in the pan, rather than letting it escape, speeding up cooking time and helping you use less energy. 

For more tips, and to find out more about how Cadent and its partners are supporting households this winter, visit www.saving-energy.co.uk.