Tommy’s story: new appliances and help with energy bills

Wallington, UK

How Tommy found help with energy bills

Tommy was signposted to Lightning Reach by E.ON Next. He received:

a) £400 in support towards energy debt and a new washer/dryer

b) £50 electricity voucher from Yes Energy Solutions

c) Energy advice from SHINE

“My mental and financial health were going downhill, but I had companies and charities that helped me.”

We recently spoke to Tommy, who was struggling with rising energy costs and looking for help with energy bills as financial pressure continued to grow. During this time, he was living alone when his boiler stopped working. He could not afford the essential repairs and was already £400 in debt with E.ON Next. Tommy was left without heating in his home and remembered “freezing at home” and “feeling pain” as he tried to cope with the cold. The discomfort of his living conditions was too much for him to handle on his own.

“I was so overwhelmed and really sad. Why did this happen to me in winter?”

Getting help through his energy provider

Tommy contacted E.ON Next and felt “really well cared for” by their team. They signposted him to the Lightning Reach portal for support options. He found the portal and application process easy to use and was happy to discover support he hadn't known about before.

"Lightning Reach helped me to find support that I hadn’t heard about before."

Tommy was matched to YES Energy Solutions, and he received a £50 electricity voucher to top up his meter. He also received £400 in support towards energy debt and a new washer/dryer. He also received energy advice and support from SHINE, which helped him understand how to keep his energy costs down in the future.

Relief from financial burdens

Tommy was unsure about asking for help at first, but feels more confident about reaching out. Now he is over the initial stress of clearing his energy debt, he plans to use Lightning Reach to get help with other areas of his finance.

Get help today

Could you or someone you know use help with essential costs or care-related expenses? Create an account today at: www.lightningreach.org/application-portal.