England’s councils plan ‘heat hubs’ as residents fear soaring bills

Local councils and voluntary groups across the UK are organising “warmth banks” to provide shelter to people unable to pay soaring energy bills this winter, as concerns mount over the impact of the cost of living crisis.

Charity groups and local government networks contacted by the Financial Times reported that they were actively planning the so-called heat-hubs after last week’s announcement by the energy regulator Ofgem that average household bills will top £3,500 from October.

The cap far exceeded earlier forecasts, with industry consultants now predicting bills could exceed £6,600 by spring, dwarfing the government’s current offer of around £1,200 in support for the poorest families. 

Allison Riddell, the clerk of the parish council in Brampton, a small market town in North Cumbria, said she was aware of elderly residents already eating sandwiches and other cold food because they were too worried about the cost of using their stoves.

“It breaks my heart,” she said, explaining that the council plans to use the local Moot Hall as a sanctuary in the winter. “Our building isn’t huge, but could hold 30-40 people comfortably. We will provide books and games et cetera, and are looking into whether we can provide warm drinks,” she added.

Other local government groups, from tiny parish councils to larger urban authorities, including Bristol, Gateshead, Cheltenham and Sheffield, said they were making plans to use public buildings, including libraries and leisure centres, to provide warmth.

Local government budgets have faced real-terms cuts of 30 per cent in the past decade and with the value of grants being eroded by inflation, now running above 10 per cent, many community groups are reactivating old Covid-19 volunteer networks to operate the schemes.

Alison Dunn, co-ordinator of Gateshead council’s warm spaces network, said the scheme involving more than 50 local groups had been devised after support groups like the Citizens Advice Bureau had realised that traditional tips on energy saving were not sufficient in the face of the current crisis.

“There’s no [government] money to run these hubs, so we’ve asked for expressions of interest so that we can use community activism to support the programme which offers a warm space, a hot drink to anyone, and with no questions asked,” she said.

Mazher Iqbal, a Sheffield city councillor, said his council was scouring budgets, including NHS winter emergency funds, to provide additional support for their own warm spaces network.

Bristol City Council said it was also working with community organisations to open a network of “welcoming spaces” for residents, offering warmth, company and practical services like phone recharging and free WiFi. Cheltenham Borough Council said it was discussing similar plans.

Horden parish council in County Durham, which has a high percentage of residents on low incomes, said its hub would enable anyone to get a hot drink, engage in hobby activities and board games, and would also provide webinars on health and energy management. 

Many of the parish council schemes are modelled on the pioneering efforts of Bungay, a small town in Suffolk that last year ran warmth hubs, which proved popular with residents struggling to pay bills. 

Sue Collins, chair of the Bungay Community Support group, said it was improving its offer this year. “Last year it was mostly older people, but we’re anticipating that there could be families this time as parents look to cope with children at home,” she said.

The fact that so much of the provision is coming from the voluntary sector highlights the increased role of charities in the UK’s social safety net, according to campaign groups, which urged the government to offer more support. 

Peter Smith, director of policy at advocacy group National Energy Action, said that government intervention was needed to create a more systemic offering. 

“Government needs to support local communities to host these warm, safe spaces,” he said. “Among the immediate steps could be VAT and business rate relief for those offering these places.”

Adam Lent, chief executive of the think-tank and local government network New Local, said that while councils and communities were stepping up, it was no alternative to a response from central government.

“We need to accept that in an increasingly volatile world, local public services and community groups are a crucial source of support and rapid action. Westminster should urgently give them adequate funding to allow this community-powered approach to flourish,” he added.