Fuel vouchers scheme to be extended across Wirral

A pilot scheme to support people who are struggling to pay for gas and electricity in Birkenhead is being extended across Wirral.

Energy company npower set up a "fuel bank" at food banks in the town providing vouchers worth £30 to households using pre-payment meters.

More than 500 vouchers have been issued since it opened in July, supporting over 1,000 people, the company said.

The pilot scheme will be rolled out across Wirral in 2016.

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Richard Roberts, from Wirral Foodbank, said: "We help a range of people - those who have experienced benefit delays and low incomes.

"It enables someone to say, for a period of time, I can feed my family, I can heat my home."

Maria Amos from Rock Park in Birkenhead, who received a voucher, said: "I'm unemployed and live on my own so I just couldn't afford any heating so was going without.

"It's a vicious circle when you're so low budget - whatever you have goes to something else."

Guy Esnouf from npower said the scheme was launched when the company realised people were going into food banks asking for cold food because they couldn't afford to heat it up.

It was also trialled in Durham, Kingston-upon-Thames and Gloucester and will be rolled out across Wirral in the New Year.

Fuel vouchers are issued to those who have been referred to the food bank service by care professionals.