Bumper cold weather payout of over £4 million

Bumper cold weather payout of over £4 million for Age UK Gas customers

Following the coldest period in decades*, gas customers on the Age UK* Energy tariff, provided by E.ON, are set to receive a Cold Weather Payment in total of over £4 million. Funded by E.ON, this sum will provide some financial relief to those in later life who faced higher energy bills through one of the worst winters on record.

Mike Abrey-Bugg, Product Manager for Age UK Group, says: "Our gas customers throughout the UK are guaranteed a Cold Weather Payment of £10 in addition to the Government's Winter Fuel Payment, which rises to £20 for customers aged 80 or above. When the weather is exceptionally harsh, we offer additional Cold Weather Payment** which is paid out to all our gas customers aged 60 and over for each day the temperature drops below freezing between December and the end of February.
"This winter was one of the worst in recent times with record amounts of snow and temperatures dropping below freezing for a substantial number of days. We are delighted to be able to offer, with E.ON, some direct help to our customers across the UK."

This guaranteed payment, part of the Age UK Energy package, has been developed with E.ON, one of the UK's leading electricity and gas companies. The Age UK E.ON Energy product offers a wide range of benefits to customers including information and advice on how to reduce energy usage, clear bills, no standing charges, tariffs for higher and lower users and tailored customer support.

Jim Macdonald Commercial Director at E.ON Retail, said: "Every cold winter brings with it potential difficulties for older people, which is why we're delighted to continue to fund Cold Weather Payments, in partnership with Age UK. It's our hope that these extra funds, as well as our ongoing energy advice and support, will really make a difference to older people for the coming winter." 

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* http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/weatherclimate.html
** The new daily amount for CWP is 43.1p per day which is equivalent to 3 hours free use of a gas fire (as at 28/2/10 when the payment was calculated).

For further information please contact Josephine Roberts or Charlotte Elmehagen at Teamspirit Public Relations on 0207 360 7788 or email ageuk@teamspiritpr.com

Notes to Editors

Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged. The Age UK family includes Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI. Age Concern England and Help the Aged, and their trading and other associated companies merged on 1 April 2009. Together they have formed the Age UK Group, dedicated to improving the lives of people in later life.

Age UK is inspired by the belief that it can improve the lives of people in later life. It celebrates ageing and believes it presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges at home and abroad. The charity will challenge ageist prejudice in society, provide services that address market failures and support the public and private sectors to design age-friendly products and services. It will support people to remain in their own homes through campaigning and practical services and its Information and Advice service will offer millions of people support on a range of issues from claiming benefits to staying fit and healthy.

Age UK will fund biomedical research that helps tackle the ill health and poor quality of life that are too common as people age. Working with over 350 partners across the country the Charity will help influence local decisions and deliver the most appropriate services. Its network of over 500 shops will act as a focal point for the local community, providing information and help with local services. Age UK works across the globe as well as in the UK, championing older people's rights and needs.

The new organisations will have a turnover of more than £150 million, nearly £400m with its brand partners. In addition to campaigning and influencing, their work will include providing information and advice to over five million people, commercial services for over one million customers and reaching 14 million customers through over 500 retail shops. Internationally, they will support a global network for older people in more than 70 countries and will fund pioneering research into all aspects of ageing.

About Age UK Energy

Age UK Energy is a trading name of Age Concern Enterprises Limited (a trading company of Age UK‚ which donates net profits to that charity).Registered in England and Wales No. 3156159. Registered Office: Astral House‚ 1268 London Road‚ London SW16 4ER. E.ON Registered office: Westwood Business Park‚ Coventry CV4 8LG. Registered in England and Wales No. 3407430. The Age UK group have worked closely with E.ON to create this exclusive tailored energy package. This great energy deal includes:

• Guaranteed cold weather payment of £10** for all our gas and Dual Fuel customers, (£20 for those 80 or over). Gas customers over 60 may also receive an additional payment based on the number of days below 0 degrees Centigrade between December and February
• Up to 8% discount every month for paying by fixed monthly Direct Debit***
• Free welcome pack including a gift of your choice worth up to £20. For example, a carbon monoxide alarm
• Free energy efficiency advice
• Discounts on energy saving products and services
• You could save up to £340**** a year on your energy bills with home insulation
• Free calls to our UK-based call centres
• Free customer service helpline that is answered by a person not a machine

Over 200,000 people have already switched to our tailor-made energy package.

**Gas customers aged 60 and over may receive an additional payment beyond this guaranteed amount, based on the number of days the temperature is below freezing point between December and February (the temperature is taken from the Pickering Weather station in Yorkshire, one of the coldest places in the UK). This will now give the equivalent of an extra three hours gas fire heating for each qualifying day. This is based on a gas fire usage of 3.9p/kwh per hour.
***Discounts are not payable on final bills.
****The saving of up to £340 a year is based on a 1940's 3 bed semi detached home with a ten year old gas boiler a gas price of 3.158p/kWh and increasing the loft insulation to 250mm. Your individual savings depend on a large number of factors and the £340 quoted should be treated as a guide.

Free welcome pack

Once you've joined‚ you'll receive a welcome pack that could help you to save energy and money. Your pack includes a welcome booklet enabling you to claim a free gift worth up to £20. You can choose either:

• A TV Power Down - which automatically switches the TV and any home entertainment additions (such as a video recorder or a DVD player) on or off, when the TV is turned on or off
• A carbon monoxide alarm
• A twin pack of LED nightlights to provide a low level of light in bedrooms and landings
• To find out more about Age UK Energy products customers can call free on 0800 404 5010, log on to www.ageuk.org.uk/energy, or visit their local Age UK*.

About E.ON

E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies, and has around 5.3 million electricity and gas customers, covering domestic, SME and industrial. E.ON been working with Age Concern since 1999 (formerly under the Powergen brand) to offer Energy Services.

E.ON also offers CaringEnergy - a single source of help to reduce energy bills, improve energy efficiency and maximise the income of homes which are currently in or at risk of fuel poverty. Through CaringEnergy customers can get help with free or discounted cavity wall and loft insulation, a free Benefits Entitlement Check and access to a fund which supports low income households and those facing financial difficulty.

E.ON Registered office: Westwood Business Park, Coventry CV4 8LG. Registered in England and Wales No. 3407430.

*Not all Age UK / Age Concern offices offer all UK products. Please check by telephoning your local office, before arranging a visit.