De Beauvoir residents launch Heat Exchange so people can donate £400 energy rebate to neighbours in need

De Beauvoir Estate. Photograph: Simon Phipps

Residents in one area of Hackney are taking action to help families worried about their heating bills.

People living in the south of the borough have launched the De Beauvoir Heat Exchange – thought to be the first of its kind in Hackney.

As part of the national response to the hike in fuel costs, every household is getting a £400 fuel rebate, with those over the age of 66 also due a winter fuel payment of up to £600, regardless of their income.

People who feel they do not need it cannot refuse the money, so local residents decided to set up a way for them to donate it.

Stephen Grosz, who helped set up the Exchange, which will be run by the Fuel Bank Foundation, said: “The aim is to encourage people to use their winter fuel rebate and add Gift Aid to donate it to people in need.

“We thought we would do it locally to help neighbours in need.”

The scheme, launched by the De Beauvoir Association, will provide vouchers to people with prepayment meters.

According to a 2018 ward profile, seven per cent of De Beauvoir residents were suffering from fuel poverty.

The Heat Exchange means people can give part or all of their heat payment to residents in need.

People will be referred by Hackney Citizens Advice and the Exchange hopes to work with another local partner.

The Citizens Advice team can point people to the fuel bank for a voucher worth £49 in winter months or £30 between April and October.

Vouchers can be issued on the same day and people can get them via text. They can choose to split the payment across their gas and electricity.

If donations outstrip demand in De Beauvoir, extra cash will be donated to residents in other parts of Hackney.

Grosz said the scheme was easy to set up and encouraged other areas to consider it.

Donations can be made here.

For details of support available locally to people affected by the cost-of-living crisis, visit the council’s website here.

The council is also holding a Winter Warmer event from 11am to 3pm on Tuesday 1 November at St John at Hackney Church to share advice about heating, housing and health when the temperature drops.