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The cold winter months are here.
Food costs are rising, mortgages and rents are rising, and more and more people are having to use credit cards and loans for buying essentials
Swapping supermarkets and reducing energy use aren't enough to make it easier. People are giving up memberships and not having days out or holidays, but still can't make ends meet.
Despite cutting all their non-essential costs or even skipping meals, people are finding their money just doesn’t go far enough.
The situation is unprecedented. Many need help for the first time. Our cost of living help hub has all the options in one place.
What to do for your situation
We’ve got new guides to help now and ahead of the winter. They set out support for different groups with the cost of living:
 Get up to £240 to help with food and bills
You can apply to the Household Support Fund if you're struggling to pay for things like food, energy, bills or other essentials
Payments have been increased for the winter months, which are often more expensive because of the need to stay warm at home.
Apply to our Hardship Alliance partners if you need help. The options are:
- Parents of children who receive means-tested free school meals can get £20 per week for each eligible child during the school holidays
- Households with pensioners, carers, a disabled person and/or households with four or more people can get a one-off £240 payment
- A one off £120 payment is available for any other households which are struggling to pay for essentials
If you've applied and received a grant from Age UK Berkshire or Citizens Advice Wokingham between April and September 2023, you can now apply again. New applications are welcome.
 Get items to help lower your energy bills
The warmer winter project can get you energy efficient items for free through our partners SHARE Wokingham, First Days Children’s Charity and our Hardship Alliance partners.
There is a supply of slow cookers, air fryers, heated clothes dryers and more (subject to availability) at no cost. These will help bring energy bills down.
Check the warmer winter project webpage to see how to access these items.
 Feeding thousands, cutting food waste
SHARE Wokingham offers fresh produce, like bread and vegetables, for those who need it. These are surplus stock from local supermarkets.
More than 2,000 people use it each week and it has saved more than 1,000 tonnes in food waste since it was launched a few years ago.
Open to all, no referral needed. If you want to know more watch this BBC South news report about the organisation and its work locally.
View the food map to see SHARE's 15 locations and find your nearest.
 Use less energy this winter
There are free actions we can all take now, and during the winter, to help lower our energy bills.
Some good things to do now ahead of the worst of the winter are:
- Save £60 per year by reducing your boiler flow temperature to 60°C if you have a combi boiler (65°C if you’re 65 or older)
- Save £50 by insulating your hot water cylinder
- Save £50 by finding and fixing draughts
- Save £20 by reducing your hot water tank temperature to 60°C
- Close all curtains and blinds at night to stop warm air escaping
- Bleed your radiators to keep your home warmer and reduce your bills
- Get a smart meter in your home to see how much energy you’re using – so you can keep your usage down
Some other top tips for households include:
- Save £50 per year by turning down radiators in rooms you’re not using
- Save £40 per year by taking showers of no more than four minutes
- Save £20 per year by washing clothes at 30°C
- Save £50 per year by using your tumble dryer less by ensuring its full every time you use it
- Save £50 per year by turning appliances off at the socket
- Save £40 per year by switching to energy saving lightbulbs
Help improving or changing your home to lower bills
Try our home energy advice service which helps you get practical, impartial advice on the changes you might make to your properties.
The service will give you a better understanding on how you might improve the energy efficiency of your home and the potential benefits these could give from carbon emissions to financial savings.
There are also details about support schemes you may be eligible for, such as the ECO Flex scheme which offers free, or subsidised, home insulation to qualifying households.
We’re also offering residents with an address in the borough free access to the Parity Projects Plan Builder App. This online estimation tool is aimed at those of you who have your own money to invest in projects to improve your home but are unsure on what you could do or the potential savings these might give.
 Get help, volunteer or donate this Christmas
With Christmas not far away we've put together all your festive support options during the festive season:
- An event for people who are alone on Christmas Day
- Help with presents for your children if you can't afford them
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Free bus travel on Saturdays in the borough in the run up to Christmas
- How to donate and support local organisations this festive season
How to get cost of living help
Useful tools and help options
Tips and advice
How to help others
Here's how you can help others this winter:
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Why you're getting this update
You’re getting this cost of living update as a resident of Wokingham Borough.
We’re sending it to everyone as it’s in everyone’s interest to know how to get help and support on the cost of living crisis as we head into winter.
If it was helpful may be interested in our other regular email newsletters - including ones about help for the cost of living. You can sign up using the button below in less than 60 seconds.
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