Note to editors: Charis still has £250,000 in Warm Home Discount grants to allocate to eligible park home residents throughout England and Wales. The company is concerned that the average ‘demographic' of park home residents - primarily elderly and less digitally competent - could mean that many residents are still not aware of the availability of the money, We are particularly keen to encourage mainstream national and local newspapers, TV and radio stations to run a short news item if they can through these more traditional channels to maximise knowledge of the availability of this payment. Jonathan Hunt can be available for interview if required. Thank you.

Park Home residents urged to check eligibility for £150 warm home discount payment

Over £250,000 has yet to be claimed as part of Charis' Park Homes Warm Home Discount scheme, and the company is encouraging friends and family of these residents to help check their eligibility. The company believes that many park home residents are not active on social media and are not digitally aware, so may not have received the information that has been sent out regarding the availability of the £150 payment. Or they may lack the confidence to make the application themselves.

As a result, Charis is urging more social media savvy friends and family, and more traditional media channels such as local TV and radio to reach out to this isolated and vulnerable community.

"There are about 100,000 park home residents across the UK, and we know that there are a significant number who are missing out not just on the £150, but on our Winter Warmth bundles too," commented Charis' director of client services Jonathan Hunt. "Residents can also apply for the replacement of older, inefficient appliances such as fridges and cookers with new, more energy efficient models."

Park home and static caravan residents who have been successfully awarded the £150 warm home discount payment through the Charis Park Homes scheme will also be sent a Heat the Home bundle containing products designed to increase the energy efficiency of their homes. This additional benefit is the result of £1.75 million worth of additional funding being added to the Charis Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme by E.On Next and Ovo Energy.

Nick Flatters, who moved into his Cleobury Mortimer park home last year after being diagnosed with a serious illness, assumed that his Warm Home Discount would be automatically paid into his account as it had always been previously. This was in fact not the case, and by the time he realised he had missed the deadline.

"Once I realised my mistake and researched how to apply through the Charis website, it was a simple process," said Nick Flatters. "I feel that there is a discrepancy between park homes and traditional homes that should not be there. It is particularly challenging for older, less computer literate residents who might not have the digital know how to not just find out the information, but actually make the application. As chairman of our residents association, I'm surprised at how many people are still not aware of how to apply.

"Many park home owners like myself have moved to these sites to both improve our way of life and escape from the high cost of living in traditional homes," continued Nick Flatters. "This discrepancy should not exist, but it does. Thankfully Charis' system is relatively simple to use, and within the park home community we like to look after our neighbours and give help and support when necessary".

In collaboration with Ofgem, Charis established the Park Homes Warm Home Discount scheme back in 2015 to bridge the gulf affecting the majority of park home residents who were not in direct contact with their energy supplier, and therefore did not receive an automatic discount.

Eligibility benefits apply - applicants need to be living in a park home, and either receive government support or benefits, or have a household income below £18,723.

For anyone who has yet to apply, they can do so through Charis' dedicated Park Homes Warm Home Discount application page.

Park Homes | Warm Home Discount Scheme | Charis (charisgrants.com)

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For further press information please contact:

Kate Ashley-Norman

i3MEDIA Ltd

T: 01733 890836

E: kate@i3media.net