Heating Oil Help Take-Up Campaign
There are 29,300 households in Somerset who rely solely on oil to heat their homes or water. A substantial portion of these households live rurally and many have a low or limited income.
Unlike gas or electricity, the heating oil market is unregulated, meaning increases in wholesale costs are rapidly passed through to consumers.
At the start of the Iran conflict, that saw prices almost double in a matter of days. Prices have since fallen back from their peak but are still around 50% higher than before the war commenced.
Help for people who use oil as their main source for heating or hot water is available through the Somerset Crisis and Resilience Fund – delivered by an Alliance of VCFSE partners, led by Citizens Advice Somerset – offering targeted support to people facing financial shock or hardship.
Somerset Council received £1.2 million to help with heating oil costs and we are keen to ensure it all goes to people who need it. We are calling on your help to join our take-up campaign and get the word out before winter.
The Heating Oil Help scheme is aimed at households who have a low or limited income, depend on oil for heating or hot water, and have less than 300 litres in their tank. Our average household award is £600, which makes a substantial difference.
The quickest way to apply is online at: citizensadvicesomerset.org.uk/
But if someone is unable to apply online or needs help, they can call our free phone Adviceline on 0808 278 7842 and select option 3.
Partners in the Heating Oil Help take-up campaign include Connect Champions, Thrive Village Agents, and hopefully you!
12 February 2020Beware of computer support scams
Beware of computer support scams
Do you own a computer or any other type of digital device? If so, watch out for fraudsters who will try to steal your money or personal or financial information through computer support scams.
Common scams include:
- A cold caller claiming to be from a big company like Microsoft, saying there is a problem with your device and they need to access it to fix it.
- Unsolicited emails with attached security updates that are in fact viruses.
- Being asked for credit card details to validate your software.
Genuine computer companies won’t call or email you out of the blue asking for personal or financial information or to fix your computer.
Follow this advice to stay safe:
- Delete suspicious emails without opening any attachments or replying to them.
- Hang up immediately on cold callers who claim there is a problem with your computer or ask you for personal or financial information.
If you are worried there may be a problem with your computer, you could:
- Contact the genuine company using the phone number on their paperwork or website.
- Ask for help at the shop where you bought it.
- Take it to a computer repair business that is member of the Buy With Confidence scheme. All Buy With Confidence businesses are vetted, approved and monitored by Trading Standards. Search at buywithconfidence.gov.uk or call 01392 383430.
If you are worried you have been scammed:
- Get advice from Citizens Advice on 03454 040506
- Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
This article has been written by Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service https://www.devonsomersettradingstandards.gov.uk/