Trial could see those struggling with debt in Coventry get home improvements to cut bills

Coventry residents struggling with debt are getting help in a new trial. Energy group E.ON and the council are door-knocking on homes of customers who are struggling with the problem.

They offer people debt relief, home insulation,batteries, and time of use tariffs. The pilot is being funded by both the public via Ofgem and by E.ON, a meeting heard this week.

It comes a year after the council and the energy group signed a 15-year "strategic energy partnership." The scheme means the pair are working together on projects focused on clean local energy, jobs, innovation and community benefit.

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E.ON's head of the partnership, Philip Wallace, spoke at a council scrutiny committee on Wednesday 20 November. Mr Wallace detailed the debt help scheme as an example of how the group is helping tackle the "energy crisis" in the city.

Mr Wallace also said the group's partnership with the council aims to bring about a "major change in society." He explained cities face issues ranging from cold homes to congestion.

The company had told cities it would be "smart" to join these up via the partnership, he added. The venture means there can be huge investment in energy which "underpins" other areas like housing, transport and innovation, he claimed.

He also described the move as a "world first" and said colleagues in Germany are interested in potentially rolling it out there and across Europe. A senior councillor admitted that E.ON will benefit but claimed taxpayers will too.

Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, Cllr Jim O'Boyle (St Michael's, Lab) said the strategy is to work with partners who can bring in "substantial" private investment. This "will significantly benefit our population, our residents, our businesses and the public sector," he claimed.

Cllr O'Boyle also told the meeting: "Clearly E.ON are a private business. Do they have an interest in this, other than an interest purely that is charitable?

"Of course not [sic], they stand to make money out of this going forward, let's be clear about that." But he also said the move will help the council bring projects forward much quickly than it otherwise could, and does not stop the authority investing in schemes brought forward by other groups.

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