Energy Advice

The Energy Price Cap controls what most households pay for energy. Read more below on what the cap is and how it works. The Energy Price Cap, set by Ofgem, limits how much suppliers can charge for these rates. While it doesn’t cap your total bill, it does protect against excessive charges.

With energy prices remaining high and the cost of living continuing to affect many households, it's important to know what help is available to manage your energy bills and improve your home's energy efficiency.

Energy bills are made up of:

Unit rates: the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity or gas used.
Standing charges: a fixed daily fee for being connected to the energy supply.

Available support for households:

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Offers £150 off your electricity bill or added to your prepayment meter.
Automatically applied if you receive certain benefits and your name is on the electricity account.
Winter payments opened in October 2025 and will close by 31 March 2026.

Cold Weather Payments

One-off payments during periods of extreme cold (below 0°C for 7 consecutive days).
Available if you receive benefits like Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or ESA.
Paid automatically between 1 November and 31 March

Winter Fuel Payment

Annual payment for those over State Pension age (born before 22 September 1959).
Helps cover heating costs during winter.
Most eligible people receive it automatically

Fuel Vouchers

If you can’t afford to top up your prepayment meter, you may be eligible for a fuel voucher.
Can be used at PayPoint, Payzone, or online (for smart meters).
Contact your local council, Citizens Advice, or food bank for help

Priority Services Register

Free support from your energy supplier if you’re:

Of State Pension age
Disabled or have a long-term health condition
Considered vulnerable

Includes priority service during outages, password protection for visits, and meter relocation

Struggling with Energy Debt?

You may be able to access:

Grants from energy suppliers or charitable trusts
Temporary credit from your supplier (for prepayment meters)
Advice and advocacy from Citizens Advice or local support services

You can ask for support from Green Doctor and Citizens Advice using the links below.

Green Doctor Citizens Advice

Need support?

Our friendly money support team can help you make the most out of your money by providing expert, tailored support.

Request money support

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.