Published: Wednesday, 25th October 2023
As the weather gets colder, costs go up but the borough council and its partners reckon they can help nearly everyone to save some money.
Residents can put this claim to the test on 31 October at the Big Beat Your Bills Event at The Place, in King’s Lynn when a group of public and voluntary sector organisations will come together to offer advice on boosting income and keeping outgoings under control.
Cllr Jo Rust, the borough council’s cabinet member for people and communities, said:
“We know that bills can really start to bite at this time of year when energy use goes up but there is a huge amount the council can do to help.
“At the Big Beat Your Bills Event we can help you to make sure you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to and tell you about extra grants that might help. We can tell you about our Food for Thought initiative, which helps you to eat healthily on a tight budget, and about lots of ways to save money on your energy bills, including grants you might be entitled to that will pay for measures to make your home more energy efficient.
“There is even a free treat for the first 60 people who come!”
Partners who will be attending include:
- Nationwide Building Society to help with budgeting skills
- Norfolk Community Foundation Food Hubs, who help anyone struggling to buy healthy and affordable food
- King’s Lynn Food Bank, who provide food parcels for people in need
- The Library service, who provide warm spaces, IT access and more
- Tech Skills for Life to make sure people have the digital skills needed to access online services
This event is part of a wider range of ways in which the council supports people to cope with rises in the cost of living. It has a huge amount of advice on its website, broken down into bite-size pieces that are easy to take in.
It works with partners to make sure people have access to the right information and it holds a range of events around the borough to take support to people, including the Beat Your Bills roadshows and Food for Thought workshops – the latter is currently running in Downham Market.
It also commissions other services, such as debt advice, provides housing support and more to help people who are finding it difficult to make ends meet.