With one in five (22%) households living in fuel poverty in Walsall North alone, the project will see 32 Home-Start locations across the UK be added to Cadent’s national Centre for Warmth programme, including The Hive Hub, Walsall, and Charter Street, Brierley Hill. Cadent’s Centres for Warmth provide resources to help people living in fuel poverty, allowing Home-Start to deliver more support to families than ever before. As a result of the expansion, there will now be 60 Home-Starts across the UK on Cadent’s Centre for Warmth programme.
A recent survey of 2,000 parents by Cadent and Home-Start showed that almost three quarters (73%) of young parents have had to skip a meal to ensure their children can eat, while over one quarter (26%) of parents have had to choose between cooking a meal or heating their home. Now, thanks to the partnership expansion, families living in vulnerable situations will be able to access more support from their local Home-Start in Dudley and Walsall, including energy advice, access to free energy efficient household appliance, and carbon monoxide safety awareness.
Cadent and Home-Start have been working together since 2023, helping over 46,000 families living in vulnerable situations. Over 10,000 families have benefited from energy efficiency support, which includes issues related to condensation and damp, while over 3,400 carbon monoxide alarms and 1,500 free slow cookers have been distributed.
Significantly, over 2,700 families have signed up to the Priority Services Register, a free UK-wide service designed to provide extra help and support to vulnerable households, which includes those with young families, during energy supply disruptions, such as power cuts or gas outages.
Last year, Cadent and Home-Start launched a slow cooker recipe book to support families, which included cost- and energy-efficient meals designed by families who visit Home-Start centres across the country. Importantly, the recipes were created to ensure parents could plan nutritious meals within budget, after Cadent and Home-Start’s research highlighted how almost half (46%) of parents find it difficult to meet their children’s nutritional needs.
Helen Curtis, Acting Head of Corporate Partnerships at Home-Start UK, said: “"At Home-Start, we see every day the immense pressure families are under, especially when faced with impossible choices between heating their homes or feeding their children. This expanded partnership with Cadent means we can reach even more families in communities that need us most, offering not just practical support, but hope. Together, we are making homes warmer, safer and futures brighter."
Phil Burrows, Head of Customer Vulnerability and Social Purpose at Cadent, said: “Over the last two years, we have seen the fantastic work that Home-Start does in helping young families living in vulnerable situations. From seeing the impact the cost of living is having on so many families across our network, it was important that we continued our support, which is why we have expanded our partnership. We know this project will make a real difference to peoples’ lives and we are proud to continue our relationship with Home-Start.”
The partnership is funded by Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, as part of Ofgem’s Vulnerability Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA), further highlighting Cadent’s commitment to supporting families living in fuel poverty.