Northern Gas Networks supports The Nation’s Biggest Housewarming

This Friday (27 February), Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the north of England’s gas distributer, has joined forces with National Energy Action (NEA) to raise awareness of fuel poverty and raise funds to help those who are unable to keep warm in their homes as part of the Nation’s Biggest Housewarming.

The initiative is organised by national fuel poverty charity NEA to coincide with national Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, a nationally recognised day to promote the issue of fuel poverty and the importance of ensuring vulnerable people are warm in their home.

The event aims to raise much needed funds to enable NEA to deliver fuel poverty projects and to campaign to ensure that all households are able to live in homes which are warmer, healthier and affordable to heat.

To mark the day NGN has encouraged employees to come to work wearing their old scarves, hats and gloves and tweet selfies of themselves wrapped up with the hashtag #NationsBiggestHouseWarming. Colleagues across the network have also been donating their garments to NGNs ‘warm up’ boxes, with all clothing being donated to charity.

Members of public have also been invited to get involved and share photographs of themselves wrapped up in their winter warmers on Twitter.  For every selfie tweeted @NGNgas with ‘I’m supporting #NationsBiggestHouseWarming to raise awareness of fuel poverty’, NGN will make a donation to NEA.

Fuel poverty continues to be a large problem across the North of England, with almost a quarter of houses in the North of England thought to be spending more than 10% of their income on heating their homes.

Maria Wardrobe, NEA’s Director of External Affairs said: “Our charity knows only too well the dreadful plight faced by those who cannot afford to heat their home to the level they need to stay warm and healthy. The 4.5 million UK households who are fuel poor will be worrying about how they are going to pay their winter fuel bills and will be continuing to make the stark choices about heating or eating. All money raised will go to projects and initiatives that will help vulnerable people live in a warm home.”

Tom Bell, head of social strategy at Northern Gas Networks, said: “We are always trying to help people living in fuel poverty across our network. The Nation’s Biggest Housewarming has been another great way for us to raise awareness and money for those struggling to keep warm.

“We hope that as well as raising awareness about this important cause, our fun selfie idea will raise vital funds for the NEA.  A huge thank you to everyone involved.”

For more information on the Nation’s Biggest Housewarming or to donate to NEA please visit www.nea.org.uk/housewarming.

If you think you are eligible for a free or discounted gas connection, visit www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/yourconnections .