Energy Advice Worker (full time, fixed term) - Stirling District Citizens Advice Bureau

Main Purpose:

The Energy Advice Project is a new and innovative approach to helping vulnerable energy consumers in the Stirling Council Area. It is unique, in that Stirling Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is reaching out to the people who need help, rather than expecting to find them at specific events. The Energy Advice Service moves beyond the traditional ‘advice’ only model typical of most CABs, to actually delivering change with a capital budget and strong referral relationships to more specialist energy advisors.

Stirling CAB is well-known and trusted with a long-established local presence which can reach the most vulnerable consumers in Stirling and surrounding rural areas. The project is the accumulation of all our learning previously gained in helping people manage their energy consumption. To make a real difference, we realise our CAB must combine help in managing energy with physically making long-term changes in energy habits and consumption. We will therefore undertake home visits to inform on good energy practice as well as using a capital budget to make small physical changes to properties through a partnership with a volunteer handyman organisation “Volunteering Matters”.  Where appropriate, our Energy Advice Service will refer appropriate clients to other expert organisations for specialist advice and/or infrastructure changes (e.g. new boilers). The proposal will improve the energy capacity and energy environment of 1200 adults in rural Stirling District each year for the duration of the project.

Roles & responsibilities

The Energy Advice Worker will:  

• Provide independent and trusted energy advice to vulnerable people in Stirling and surrounding rural area.
• Provide a 2nd tier consultancy support service to build the energy advice capacity of the front line Stirling CAB advice services & support partner agencies
• Engage with people encountering problems with their utility suppliers and those in short and long-term financial crisis & resolve their utility debts
• Promote, encourage and empower local people who have yet to engage the Home Energy Scotland Warmer Homes Scheme
• Facilitate the installation of minor energy saving measures in people’s home (e.g. LED Bulbs), using our partner ‘handyman’ service
• Provide a tariff switching service for vulnerable people
• Train volunteer workers to provide continuity in assistance.

• Actively participating in and influencing stakeholder groups, e.g. Tackling Poverty and Inequality Group, Fuel/Energy Policy Forums and other relevant frontline workers’ groups, in consultation with the Bureau Manager

The direct beneficiaries of this service will be Stirling District residents who are struggling to fund, manage or fully understand their utility bills and energy usage.

Our service will be open to all who seek the help of CAB in Stirling, but also those with whom we can engage through the additionality of attendance at the two local food banks, library based outreach services in rural Stirlingshire and via our partnership with Hanover Housing Association.

While the service is available to everyone, we specifically expect to focus on those who are vulnerable or are less capable of effectively managing their energy usage and those who have not yet engaged with Home Energy Scotland to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Our approach is to be easily accessible across the whole district via the food bank, library outreach, home visits, CAB internal & external stakeholder referral, Sheltered Housing clinic & our Tariff switching sessions.

The Energy Advice Service focus is vulnerable consumers irrespective of their housing tenure primarily:

• Older People
• People with disabilities Low income families with young children
• Vulnerable people in fuel poverty
• People in hard to heat homes

In understanding the needs of the target audience & the approach to engage (as well as the design of our service), the Stirling CAB Energy Advice Service has paid attention to the key barriers & best practice guidance within the OFGEM Consumer Vulnerability Strategy.

Appointment is subject to a Basic Disclosure and two satisfactory references.

Responsible to: CEO