Kingdom Housing Association has appointed Michael Hui as its new energy advice officer to help families cut their power bills.

Funding was provided from The ScottishPower Energy People Trust to set up a ‘Families Out of Debt’ project. The project aims to provide children in Fife with a better start in life by helping their families stay warm and comfortable while spending a lower proportion of their income on fuel.

Michael will work with Kingdom’s tenants to help them address fuel poverty and fuel debt by giving energy advice, where there will be an emphasis on minimising energy costs, through securing good energy contracts and installing additional energy measures in homes.

Michael has already made contact with several tenants and helped achieve good results for them. He supported one tenant, Mrs P, to claim back £95 standing charge refund and to apply to Energy Trust Fund to cover her gas debt of over £800. He has also arranged to have her gas supply uncapped so that she does not have to use the more expensive electricity to heat her home this coming winter.

Mrs P said: “We would like to thank you, Michael. You have been a great help.”

Michael has also been liaising with other energy projects in the area, such as Cosy Kingdom and the Glenrothes Foodbank, to try and make sure a difference can be made for tenants, by pooling the resources.

Norah Smith, Kingdom director of housing and care, said: “The Energy Advice project fits well with the programme of enhanced advice and assistance services we have been developing over the last few years. A tenants housing costs are much more than just rent charges and through helping tenants to reduce high energy costs, this contributes to affordability issues for our tenants and customers. We look forward to seeing many more benefits as a result of Michaels work.”

Bill Banks, chief executive at Kingdom, added: “One of Kingdom’s strategic objectives is to be an excellent and supportive landlord and energy advice and the environment are key priorities for us. Michael has really hit the ground running with this project and I would like to thank The ScottishPower Energy People Trust for their funding support.”