£20,000 to support Citizens Advice’s ongoing response to Coronavirus

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is extending its support to communities and customers during the coronavirus outbreak with a donation of £20,000 to Citizen’s Advice Hampshire.

The funding is assisting the charity in remotely delivering a much-needed and valued service, as they respond to the impact that the virus continues to have on communities and individuals across Hampshire and its surrounding areas.

Citizens Advice Hampshire provides support in Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and on the Isle of Wight by acting as a single point of contact for funders, partners and policy makers, which enables collaboration with other charities and organisations. This means they can provide a wealth of information and guidance and, last year alone, the charity dealt directly with over 85,000 people seeking advice on areas including health care, energy advice and finance.

As people find themselves vulnerable – physically, mentally or financially – as a result of coronavirus and the measures being taken during the outbreak, SSEN has gifted the charity £20,000 to help them accommodate the additional needs of those contacting the charity.

Managing Director of SSEN, Colin Nicol, said: “At Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, we understand that we remain in uncertain times and we want to support our communities and customers.

“Citizens Advice Hampshire is delivering crucial energy advice services, in addition to the many other areas of guidance they provide, to the thousands of people who contact them each year. This is a difficult and challenging time for many people and through this donation we know we can help the charity to extend the vital support they provide.

“I’d like to reassure our customers that SSEN continues to work closely with Government, Ofgem and other network operators to protect and support our customers, colleagues and communities. While the significant challenge posed by the of the coronavirus remains, I want our customers to know that we are working in accordance with Government guidelines to keep their power flowing, safely and reliably, and helping our nation respond to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Paul Bright, CEO of Citizens Advice Hampshire added: “We are delighted to have the support of SSEN through this significant funding which will enable our teams to provide additional support to existing Citizens Advice clients with energy issues during this difficult time.

“The award, which will also be used to help vulnerable customers access additional services such as SSEN’s Priority Services Register, is most welcome and its benefits will bring much needed support across the whole of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

To find out more about the work being done by Citizens Advice Hampshire, please go to: https://www.citahants.org/