Heating Bank 

Our Heating Bank is funded by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Crisis Resilience Fund and supports vulnerable households across Cheshire West with their energy costs.

You may be eligible for support if you are on a low income and have experienced a sudden change in your financial situation, such as:

• Loss of employment or reduced working hours
• A reduction in benefits
• An unexpected bill or essential cost
• A sudden drop in income that has made it difficult to pay for your energy

Support is available for households who are at risk of, or experiencing, fuel poverty. If eligible, we may be able to provide help with energy costs through:

• Prepayment meter vouchers
• A digital utilities prepaid Mastercard to help towards your energy bill

Due to Crisis Resilience Fund criteria, we can only support households that have experienced a recent, unexpected drop in income, not a general lack of income.

Only one award per household is available until 31 March 2027. In exceptional cases, a further award may be considered if there has been a new, separate sudden drop in income. We cannot accept repeat applications for the same ongoing financial circumstances.

All applications are assessed individually, and awards are discretionary based on need at the time of application.

Before you apply

When completing your online application, you will need:

• Proof of address from the last 3 months (e.g. utility bill, benefit award letter, or council tax bill).
• If you pay by direct debit or on receipt of a bill we will need a copy of your latest energy bill in full showing actual meter readings, with your name and address clearly shown
• If you are applying for fuel vouchers we will need a photo/screenshot of your prepayment meter showing the current balance, meter serial number and barcode. Please include your name, address and the date written on paper next to the meter.

You will also need to provide evidence of the sudden drop in your income dated within last 6 weeks, such as:

• A payslip showing reduced hours, sick pay, or reduced income
• Benefit information or evidence of a benefit change
• Evidence of an unexpected bill or change in circumstances
• Dismissal/redundancy notification

Applications may be declined if you do not provide evidence or there is not enough information for us to assess your eligibility.

All applicants will be given information to help with their situation.

Important information

The Heating Bank is not an emergency fund and applications may take some time to process.

If you are in an emergency situation or are struggling to pay your energy bills, please contact your energy supplier as soon as possible or contact our Adviceline on 0808 2787 806 for advice and support.