Keeping in Touch The newsletter for South Yorkshire Housing Association residents
Winter 2012
SYHA Christmas opening times Monday 24th December we close at 5pm, reopening on Thursday 27th December. We will close again at 5pm on Monday 31st December and reopen on Wednesday 2nd of January 2013.
Cover story: Involving you event
Cover story:
Our Involving You event
SYHA go back to their roots to celebrate 40 years of housing the city’s most vulnerable
You might remember seeing in our special edition of Keeping in Touch that we invited you along to our Involving You event, to celebrate our 40th birthday and to have a chat with us about the different ways you can get involved at SYHA. The event took place on 23rd October and even though the weather wasn’t the best and the nights had started drawing in it didn’t stop some of you coming to find out how you could get involved. With plenty of teas and coffees and slices of our anniversary birthday cake to be eaten, people could wander through the event, share in our celebrations, and get to meet and talk to staff about how they could get involved. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who turned up on the evening and thank you to everyone who told us they wanted to know more about getting involved but weren’t able to attend the event.
News
On Thursday 18th October 14 SYHA staff and board members spent the night sleeping rough outside Sheffield Cathedral to raise money and awareness of the Sheffield homeless charity, the Cathedral Archer Project.
For everyone that did manage to come along on the evening there was a free prize draw.
The winners were: Mr Hemmingham who won a pay-as-you-go smart phone
Mr Selby who won £50 in high street vouchers
Ms Wharton who won two tickets to see My Fair Lady at the Crucible Theatre.
Missed the event and want to get your hands on a FREE iPad? Don’t worry if you missed the event as there are always opportunities to get involved at SYHA. Right now we are still looking for people to get involved in looking at how we do things and making suggestions Number peoplePeople who that used our part of for how we canofimprove. become andbeSupported Housing the Care group will given a free iPad to help them do services this(CaSH) and we will also help with the cost of your internet connection. As well as the iPad we will refund any out of pocket expenses and give you training and support.
For more information contact Caroline Hubbard on 0114 2900 258. 2
The Cathedral Archer Project is very close to our hearts
In 1972 after watching the BBC drama Cathy Come Home SYHA’s founder John Belcher created Sheffield Family Housing Association which later became SYHA. While our name may have changed, providing housing to people in South Yorkshire continues to be at the core of what we do and in our 40th year it is fitting that we return to where we started. Staff at SYHA wanted to support the great work done by the Cathedral Archer Project at time when homelessness continues to be a reality faced by people in the city.
Georgina Barrett, who slept under the stars, said: ‘Our organisation was founded forty years ago in response to the shortage of decent and affordable homes for homeless young families; therefore raising money for the Cathedral Archer Project is very close to the hearts of many of us that work for SYHA.’ The Archer Project offers a place where homeless people can come for food, a shower, a change of clothes, access to medical support, as well as providing opportunities to learn new skills and take part in activities which help to give people the chance to move away from homelessness. Tim Renshaw, Cathedral Archer Project chief executive, said: ‘We work closely with many agencies including South Yorkshire Housing Association and we would like to congratulate them on their 40th birthday. Their support is vital to us. We are currently seeing 80 people every day that need our help, so the more people that support them and are aware of the issues around homelessness will all make a difference.’
So far we have raised a fantastic £2751!
Well done to everyone who braved the elements and experienced for a night a taste of what is the reality of homelessness for many. 3
You’re Hired!
News
Apprentices and Graduate Employment Mentoring Officers at SYHA
SYHA on film To celebrate turning 40 and all the wonderful work we’ve been doing since 1972, we’re making several short films; sharing the stories of the people who have helped to make us who we are today. One example of the films we have done so far is ‘SYHA in a day’, a 25 minute documentary which tells the stories of 40 people who live in an SYHA home
or work at SYHA. If you have access to the internet go to www.syha.co.uk and you will be able to watch the films we’ve made so far by clicking on the Vimeo link. Or go straight to: vimeo.com/channels/syorksha Don’t forget to keep checking the site as we’ll be adding more films as soon as they’re finished.
Looking good at 40 If you have had a repair carried out by our repairs staff in the last month you may have seen the new signage on our vans. They are also getting a new name. You may know them as our DSO but their Since then you will have seen our new new name is the Home Maintenance look in our October special edition of Team. Our Neighbourhood Environmental Keeping in Touch. Plus, if we have written Action Team also have new signage on to you recently you will have seen our new their vans. SYHA stationery.
In the autumn newsletter we told you that SYHA would be having a bit of a facelift this year and we showed you our new look logo.
In previous editions of the newsletter we have kept you up to date with our new apprentices, when they started and which teams they are working in. We now have five apprentices working at SYHA, across three departments – Neighbourhood Environmental Action Team (NEAT), Home Maintenance Team and Computer Services. In addition to the apprenticeships we
Our NEAT & Home Maintenance Team apprentices with Tracey Bodle, Apprenticeships Officer at Construction Skills, and Andy Jones, Home Maintenance Team Manager.
South Yorkshire Housing Association Delivering quality local living
Well, this is only the start of our makeover and over the coming months we will be bringing everything else up to date. So you can expect to see more of our new style as we freshen up the rest of our signage and launch our new look website in January 2013 along with new information leaflets.
Calling all you Keeping you gas safe budding writers! We want to make sure your gas appliances are safe, so each year we need to do a free gas service check at your home.
We hope there is always something in our newsletter that you find interesting and we welcome any suggestions you may have for an article that you would like to see or perhaps you would like to write an article for our newsletter. If so, please get in touch with us.
If you have any thoughts or suggestions you can let us know by filling in the praise or grumble form on the back page.
WIN
£50 4
have also created seven Graduate Employment Mentoring Officer positions. These are one year posts for University Graduates and will give the seven graduates the opportunity to gain valuable work experience by working on seven projects. The graduates are now in post and we would like to wish them a warm welcome to SYHA.
Everyone that returns the form is entered into a prize draw with a chance to win £50 in High Street vouchers.
The check covers all gas appliances and pipe work fitted by SYHA and a check of any electrically wired smoke alarms. It is carried out by our gas contractors, Liberty Group. About six weeks before your service is due they will write to you with an appointment. If you are not going to be home on the appointment date, just give us a call on our free phone 0800 1380 380 to arrange a more convenient time. Most SYHA customers are in when Liberty call, which makes our job easier and saves money that we can then spend on other things. To say thank you to customers that keep their appointment we now have a prize draw in November and April where you can win £100 in shopping vouchers.
And finally, with Christmas fast approaching many of us like to decorate our homes for the festive season. But, with the number of house fires caused by faulty Christmas lights, we would like to remind you to test your smoke alarms and make sure that they are working whether they are electrically wired or battery operated. If your think yours isn’t working please call our free phone repairs line on 0800 1380 380 or text REPAIRS to 63333. SYHA staff and contractors that do work on our behalf carry identification. Make sure you ask to see this before letting anyone into your home. If you have any reason to doubt the identity of a caller give us a ring to check.
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Want to get ahead? Get online!
News
SYHA & Sheffield Sharks SLAM-DUNK community award Our basketball RESPECT project, which works with young people in our communities, has won a Safer Streets award and has been voted the overall regional winner for Yorkshire and Humberside in the National Housing Federation’s Community Impact Awards. So far the project has worked with over 3500 children in 10 primary schools, giving them the chance to get active and receive coaching from professional basketball players at the Sheffield Sharks. The project aims to reduce antisocial behaviour by helping to educate children about their own health and safety and looks at issues like crime and bullying.
As the RESPECT project has been so successful, in 2013 we are hoping to work with more primary schools in more areas. We now go through to the finals of the national competition which will be held early in 2013. We will let you know how we get on in a future edition of Keeping in Touch and on our website.
Seasons greetings and best wishes for the New Year from everyone at SYHA.
Pat and one of her Christmas helpers Lindsey Copley
We will be launching our new SYHA website in January 2013 and we will be running online competitions early next year to encourage customers to look around the new site and let us know what works well and how we can make improvements to make it work for you. If you aren’t already online and would like to be there are a number of UK Online Centres that offer free IT facilities and training. If you would like to know where your nearest one is give our Customer Services Team a call on 0114 2900 200.
Need to contact us over the festive period? Our Wellington Street Office will be closed for a couple of days over the holiday break. Details of when we are open and closed can be found on the front cover. If you have an emergency repair whilst the office is closed, please call our emergency free phone repairs number, 0800 1380 580.
These are a few of m y favourite things... Pat Myrie and her It may be difficult to put a price on your favourite things, the items in your home which mean something to you, but if they were stolen or damaged what would you do?
Free ticket giveaway! Want to watch the Sharks in action? Well we have a number of free tickets to give away on a first come, first served basis. Get in touch by using our contact details on page 15.
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No-one wants to think about being burgled or having your belongings ruined because of fire or water damage, but this sort of thing can happen to any of us. Without insurance it could be really difficult and expensive to replace items especially the items which to you are priceless. SYHA does not insure your personal possessions or furniture, so it is something you may want to think about. There are a number of low-cost affordable insurance schemes, and at SYHA we have linked up with an
insurance company to offer a specially negotiated deal with affordable rates. There are a range of different types of cover and ways you can pay. If you would like more information about the scheme get in touch with us using the contact details on page 15.
In addition to having your belongings insured don’t forget the following simple tips – l Don’t leave Christmas presents in
clear view from a window l Find out where the stop tap for your water supply is located and make sure that you have access to it. If you are unsure where your stop tap is please call our Repairs Team on 0800 1380 380.
Christmas helpers If you have ever called into our Sheffield office you may well have met Pat who is one of our Customer Services Assistants. Pat has worked at SYHA for 25 years and for the past 10 years she has pulled out all the stops to make sure that every child staying in SYHA’s homeless accommodation over Christmas doesn’t go without a gift. As you may know we not only offer homes for rent, but we also house people with care needs and offer temporary accommodation to homeless people. We estimate that there will be 130 households staying in our temporary accommodation over the festive period this year and approximately 200 of those people will be under 18. Homelessness could affect any of us and understandably can be unsettling and upsetting especially for children. Pat and her band of helpers help to spread a little joy during this festive period by making sure every child receives a visit from Santa.
This year Pat’s going even further, hoping that there are enough donations so that everyone staying in SYHA homeless accommodation, no matter what their age, has a special something to open this Christmas. Pat said: ‘Ten years ago I started giving out food parcels, with the help from my local church, to local homeless projects. As time went by I started reaching more people, and began an ‘annual toy appeal’ – where members of SYHA staff would make donations for the kids. This year I am hoping we can get enough donations so that everyone staying in our homeless projects, no matter what their age, has something to make them smile this Christmas.’ If you would like to support Pat’s Christmas appeal and make a donation please call into our Sheffield office where all gifts and donations will be gratefully received 7
Would you like your home to receive a free energy health check?
The Groundwork Sheffield Green Doctors
Service charge accounts
Do you or your home need an energy makeover? Need help figuring out how to read your energy bills or lower fuel bills? If you answered yes SYHA, LiveGreen team are offering FREE home energy assessments and advice to 500 SYHA households, so get in touch by contacting Anna Cooper on the details below and book a visit.
A warm welcome…
Could you be a Green Doctor ? LiveGreen are recruiting for 3 Green Doctors to help deliver the Energy Literacy project, which will help 500 SYHA households’ reduce fuel bills and occupy warmer homes. If you are enthusiastic about green issues then this is the position for you. As a Green Doctor you will be responsible for giving households a ‘’energy health check’’ and providing advice to help tenants identify ways in which occupants can use energy more efficiently and get the best deal from their fuel provider. The Green Doctors will be employed by project partners, Groundwork Sheffield - a local regeneration charity. You will work closely with the LiveGreen team based at the SYHA offices on Wellington Street.
Role Details
Job Title - Green Doctor Team Member (3 positions available)
Starting Salary - £6.20 per hour Hours - 35 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Contract length - Initial 3 month contract with the potential for extension To apply for the role please download the job specification from the LiveGreen website, www.live-green.co.uk or contact Anna Cooper, LiveGreen Project Manager 0114 2702648. The deadline for applications is 5.00pm Monday 17th December 2012. No prior knowledge of energy issues is required as full training will be provided with the opportunity to complete a City and Guilds qualification in Energy Awareness. As you will be working with a diverse group of individuals and entering their homes excellent communication skills are required and candidates must be willing to undertake a CRB check.
New Insulation work in Rotherham If you live in Holmes, Eastwood, Kimberworth, Masborough or Maltby you may have been asked whether you’d like to have external wall insulation fitted. This work is being paid for by Energy Companies such as British Gas and it’s a great opportunity to get your home insulated before the winter really sets in. The funding rules mean that the work 8
has to be complete by Christmas so there’s a lot of work to be done and not much time! LiveGreen are managing this work on behalf of SYHA so if you want to find out more about this opportunity or anything else that we’re involved with why not get in touch - you can find our number on the right.
In early November we gave a warm welcome to our new Project Manager, Anna Cooper. She will be managing the Energy Literacy Project and developing new training courses so we can help more people and other organisations lower their energy use and reduce their bills.
We are keen to keep you up-to-date on service charges and are pleased to tell you that the service charge accounts for 2011/12 have now been finalised.
Helping you have fun Our neighbourhood grants are available to anyone who wants help with the costs of organising an event or activity for their community. This could be something which would help you and your neighbours get together or you might have an idea for a project which would benefit for your local community. We have recently awarded funding to an organisation called Green Estates to organise a community bonfire in Sheffield. The event was free to all and as well as the bonfire there was a firework display and plenty to see and do for young and old, making it a great success. If you have an idea, why not get in touch with us and find out whether you can apply for funding from SYHA. You can find our contact details on page 15.
Volunteering at SYHA We are now up and running and going from strength to strength. Currently we have volunteers in five of our Care & Supported Housing schemes and over the coming months we are hoping to work with more schemes and have more volunteering opportunities.
Any Green Ideas?
The LiveGreen team are always looking for good examples of any energy saving ideas. If you have any, or any thoughts about what LiveGreen can do to help you manage your energy bills in the future we’d love to hear from you, contact Anna Cooper on 0114 2702648, anna.cooper@live-green.co.uk
So far our volunteers are helping our people to use computers, get involved in social activities and enjoy new experiences. If you think you would like to learn some new skills, get to meet new people and give something back to the community then give us a call or send us an email as we’d love to hear from you. Call Anthony Larsen on 0114 2900 286, or email a.larsen@syha.co.uk
By now you will have received information from us detailing your service charges and in October we held a series of meetings and invited you to come along if you had any questions, or wanted to discuss the accounts in more detail. Since then we have been working out each household’s individual account charges and you will have recently received a letter from us showing whether your
account is in credit or in arrears. If your account is in credit you may be entitled to a refund. Please call Karl Drabble on 0114 2900 260, or Lizz Cadman on 0114 2702688, and we will be able to send you a cheque for any credit you are owed. If you are in arrears we will send you an invoice. If there are rent arrears on your account, we may use any service charge credit as payment towards these arrears.
Meeting you - Leasehold Meeting We have arranged a number of meetings in January and February 2013 to give you the opportunity to ask us any questions you may have about your lease. We will write to you by the end of December to let you know when and where your nearest meeting will be.
Service Charge budgets We are currently working on the budgets for 2013/14. To set budgets we look at what we have spent in previous years to estimate what we will spend in the coming year. We try to make our budgets as accurate as possible but as you will understand there are some things we can’t predict, such as repairs and gas and electricity costs, so there can be differences at the end of the year. We will always let you know of
any differences in the accounts within 6 months of the end of the financial year. You will receive your new budget by the end of February 2013 and the charges will apply from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014. You will also be invited to a meeting to discuss the budgets in more detail after we have sent them out. We hope to see lots of you at the meetings.
Repairs & Maintenance What isn’t covered by my service charge? We often get asked this question. Your service charge covers repairs, maintenance and services for the communal areas and systems. All repairs and maintenance within your home are your responsibility. If you are ever unsure about what is and what isn’t covered please call the Leasehold Team and we will be happy to help. 9
Don’t get into debt this Christmas Christmas may be time for giving but borrowing money to buy presents could leave you paying for this Christmas next Christmas Try to set a budget and stick to it. Don’t spend money that you know should go towards your bills, after all it won’t be a great Christmas if you can’t afford to pay your rent or put your heating on. From time to time we all may run a little short and find ourselves needing to borrow money. If you do, here are some simple things worth thinking about –
Who are you borrowing money from?
Badminton at Beaufort
Rad, keyworker at Beaufort with Adam, Sam and Neil
The Beaufort project is based in Sheffield and supports single people who are living with long term mental health issues. Recently staff at the project have been organising regular badminton games and Sam, Neil and Adam recently showed off their badminton skills in front of the cameras as part of the film to celebrate SYHA’s 40th Birthday. You can see them talking about life at Beaufort in our film ‘SYHA in a day’ see page 4. Adam shared with us how something as simple as playing badminton has helped him gain confidence. He said that he could not leave his flat before coming to the project, but now he is out there, doing voluntary work, shopping for healthy food, walking in the parks, attending appointments and visiting his family.
The Customer Improvement Panel work with SYHA to produce this newsletter 10
Both Sam and Neil say they love to play, and they are reaping the rewards of it making them fitter. If you feel taking up a sport might have benefits for you and live in one of our Care & Supported Housing Projects why not talk to your Key Worker or alternatively every city or town has sports facilities and clubs you might be able to join to meet new people and get a little fitter.
How something as simple as playing badminton has helped confidence
EASY READ Customer Improvement Panel
Anyone who lends money must have a licence to do so. If they don’t, they are breaking the law. Illegal money lenders as sometimes called Loan Sharks and often charge very high interest rates. If you want to check a company is licenced call the Consumer Credit Register on 020 7211 8608, standard phone charges apply. If you want to report one that isn’t text LOAN SHARK and the lender’s details to 60003 or phone 0300 555 2222, calls charged at a local rate.
If you do need to borrow money why not get in touch with your local Credit Union? Credit Unions are small non-profit financial organisations set up by members with something in common to benefit their community. There are roughly 500 credit unions across the UK offering loans, savings and current accounts to their members. They are safe to use, encourage their members to save regularly and can provide financial advice. To find out where your local Credit union is and how to join go to www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk or call free on 0800 015 3060.
How much will I end up paying ? You need to know the interest rate or APR, annual percentage rate, as this will help you to work out the total amount of money you will need to repay. It can be confusing but take time to work this out or get some advice before you take out a loan and make sure you know how much in total you will have to repay. Websites like www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk have a loan calculator to help you to do this. Be careful as some companies offer loans with very high APR’s. For example, if you take out a loan for £200 with an APR of 399.7% – the total you will need to repay is £430!
Can you afford to repay the money you borrow? Our lives constantly change so it’s worth thinking whether or not you could continue to repay your loan if you were to have your hours reduced at work, or worse still find yourself out of work?
Struggling to repay? As soon as you realise that you can’t keep up with your payments don’t waste time get help. There are a number of different organisations who specialise in debt advice. Get in touch with the National Debtline by calling freephone 0800 808 4000 or contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau. Not sure where it is? Give our Customer Service Team a call you can find our contact details on page 15 and they will be able to help you. If you have access to the internet google ‘CAB’ to find your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Do you claim Housing Benefit and have one or more spare bedrooms? From the 1st April 2013 the Government is reducing the amount of Housing Benefit some people can claim. The new rules will affect you if you have more bedrooms than the Government says you need. Under the new rules if you claim housing benefit you are entitled to one bedroom for: l each adult couple l any single person aged sixteen and over l two children of the same sex under sixteen l two children under ten regardless of their sex l a carer, who does not normally live with you, if you or your partner need overnight care
Will my Housing Benefit be reduced? If you are of working age, not receiving overnight care and have one or more spare bedrooms you will be affected by these changes. You will not be affected if you are of pensionable age or you have a spare room because you or your partner need overnight care If you are unsure whether or not you will be affected and would like to talk to someone please contact our Customer Services Team on 0114 2900 200.
Do we have up-to-date information about you and your household? We hold information about you, your household and the size of your home. This helps us work out who may be affected by these changes so that we can contact you and explain what these changes will mean to you and the amount of Housing Benefit you may lose.
Remember that it is important to keep SYHA and the council’s benefits department updated on your household details. If you have had any new arrivals or someone has recently flown the nest please let us, and them, know. If you think we may not have your correct household details please contact our Customer Services Team on 0114 2900 200.
Thinking about moving to a smaller home? We understand that having your benefits reduced could have a big impact on you and your family and not everyone will be able to afford to make up the difference. We know that some people are thinking about moving to a smaller property. If you are, there are a number of options available to you: 1. You can register on SYHA’s Transfer List and we are awarding priority to our customers affected by the changes 2. You can register on the online mutual exchange register called HomeSwapper. This is free to all of our customers and can be found on the internet at www.homeswapper.co.uk If you can’t access the internet then we can help you register. Please call our Customer Services Team.
3. You can speak to your local council and other housing associations about your options for moving. If you have any questions about how you may be affected by these changes and/or wish to discuss your options for moving, please call our Customer Services Team on 0114 2900 200 or email enquiries@syha.co.uk. 11
Keeping our customers safe & well
Keeping you Winter safe ‘Snow is falling all around me, children playing having fun...’, Shakin’ Stevens 1985 Christmas hit really does paint a winter wonderland full of festive fun. While the snow may be great fun for some, the dropping temperatures, snow and ice does mean there is a greater risk of slips, trips and falls.
Keeping our customers safe & well Safeguarding is a word we use to describe how we make sure our tenants, clients and children that live in our homes are kept safe, well protected and are not at risk of abuse. By abuse we mean someone doing something to you that you don’t like - it takes many different forms. Abuse can also be when someone doesn’t look after your needs properly. 12
Emma Shipley heads up our Safeguarding Team who train staff so that they can identify when abuse may be taking place and that staff know how to support people who may be experiences abuse. If you would like to get in touch with the Safeguarding Team or speak to someone about any concerns you have about abuse, get in touch on 0114 2900 200.
I am sure we have all enjoyed the embarrassment of slipping and falling over in a public place but short of a few bruises and perhaps a bruised ego thankfully we soon recover. However failing on snow and ice can result in more serious injuries and the consequences can be much more serious for older people. Following some of these simple tips may help you to keep upright this winter when the pavements and footpaths are covered in snow and ice: l Wear sturdy footwear, something with a good grip l Take it slowly, don’t rush l Give yourself extra time to get from A to B, so you don’t find yourself having to make a last minute dash to catch the bus. l Keep an eye on what is underfoot. Remember, some places will stay icy for longer than others especially if they are in the shade and don’t get the sun. l If you’ve got Nordic walking poles (or similar), use them as they will help you to keep your balance. l If you have neighbours who might find it difficult getting out in bad weather why not offer to pop to the shops for them? l If the Council have provided grit bins use them.
Help us to help the environment Please recycle this newsletter when you have read it
Fed up of cold callers? Many people will have experienced cold calling - this can be when someone knocks on your door trying to sells you goods or services but can also be when you receive unwanted phone calls or text messages from companies. Lately you may have received calls in relation to PPI (payment protection insurance) claims. These calls and text messages can be inconvenient and annoying at times but for some people they can also cause distress and anxiety. If you have had enough of receiving calls like these there is something you can do about it. To stop unwanted calls, register your phone number, either landline or mobile, with the Telephone Preference Service. It’s free and takes 28 days for a ban to come into effect. Contact them by visiting their website, www.tpsonline.org.uk or by calling 0845 070 0707. Once your number is registered companies should check before making a call – if they don’t they are breaking the law. If you do continue to receive unwanted calls you can contact the Telephone Preference Service on the details above or contact your phone provider.
Are you aged over 50, unemployed or at risk of redundancy? Have you thought about becoming your own boss and setting up your own business? It must be a big step to take but Prime, which stands for the Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise, is an organisation which offers support and practical advice to people who want to do just that. They can provide training to help you prepare for running your own business, organise networking events giving you the opportunity to meet like minded people and offer mentoring to help guide you through issues you may have. For more information about Prime, go to their website www.prime.org.uk or call 0845 862 2023.
On a prepayment meter for your gas or electric? Prepayment meters are energy meters for gas and electricity that allow you to pay for your energy on a pay-as-you-go basis. Over three million UK homes use them. They can help to budget, but you usually pay more for energy. It is still possible to make savings by switching to a cheaper prepay tariff. It works in the same way as switching on a credit meter, though there aren’t as many suppliers. The easiest way to find which supplier is cheapest is to use a comparison service or website site. How they work is you give details like where you live and as much info as possible about how much you spend on energy bills, and they tell you which company’s cheapest. If you don’t have your bills handy they can estimate how much gas and electric you use. If you use an online site you may be able to get some cashback if you switch.
Cashback is an amount of money that the comparison service will pay you once your switch has been completed.
There are many switching services you can use. Some popular services include: l www.energyhelpline.com or you can call 0800 074 0745, l www.uSwitch.com or you can call free on 0808 178 3492 The National Housing Federation who represent the work of housing associations and campaign for better housing also offer a comparison service for Housing Association tenants. You can access their switching service via www.energylinx.co.uk/ energy/nhf/ or telephone free on 0800 001 4706.
In debt with your supplier?
pension credit. Energy suppliers also offer it to a wider group of people, You can still switch if you are in debt though this is at their discretion, so call with your supplier if the debt is less up and find out what your supplier will than £200. offer you. If you are experiencing Finally if you are on a prepayment hardship meter don’t use emergency credit Energy suppliers should help people too often. When you dip into the experiencing hardship. For example, the emergency credit it doesn’t charge you Warm Home Discount came into force the standing charge (the fixed charge on the 1st April 2011 and requires you pay daily just to be connected), so energy suppliers, to help vulnerable the next time you top-up you have to customers pay for energy. The main play catch-up, which can throw your group it helps are people who get budgeting out. 13
Competition winners Congratulations to the lucky winners of the autumn newsletter competitions drawn by our Customer Improvement Panel. The £50 winner, for giving us their praise or grumble, was Mrs Marshall from Rotherham.
Mrs Mills from Maltby won £25 for solving our time-travelling 1972 quiz and word search, and well done to Marley from Selby, aged 3, for winning £10 for colouring in our birthday cake and creating a wonderfully colourful and sparkly picture.
Adult competition
With the holiday season nearly upon us some of you may be practicing your singing voices in preparation for some carol singing. You may know the carol ‘12 days of Christmas’ and even if you don’t why not try to find the 12 gifts hidden in the word search?
Festive wordsearch
For the chance to win £25 find all the words in the word search, add your name and address and return the completed word search to South Yorkshire Housing Association Ltd, FREEPOST SF1336, Sheffield, S1 1AY. The closing date for entries is the 7th January 2013.
PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE TURTLE DOVES FRENCH HENS CALLING BIRDS GOLD RINGS GEESE A LAYING SWANS A SWIMMING MAIDS A MILKING LADIES DANCING LORDS A LEAPING PIPERS PIPING DRUMMERS DRUMMING If you want to enter the adults’ competition and fill in the praise or grumble form overleaf, all you need to do is detach the whole page, send it to us and we will make sure your competition entry and praise or grumble are both entered in the prize draw.
Name: Address:
It’s Christmas so get your felt tips, crayons or paints and colour in our fantastic festive decorations
Kid’s competition Name:
Age:
Address: Postcode: Telephone No: 12 14
Postcode:
WIN £
10
HIGH S VOUCH TREET ERS
Telephone No:
How to contact SYHA 0114 2900 200
Send to: South Yorkshire Housing Association Ltd, FREEPOST, SF1336, Sheffield, S1 1AY. The closing date for entries is the 7th January 2013
enquiries@syha.co.uk SYHA, 43 – 47 Wellington Street, Sheffield S1 4HF.
Text keyword SYHA to 63333 If you text during office hours we aim to call you back by 5pm the same working day.
WIN £
25
HIGH S VOUCH TREET ERS
Repairs Freephone 0800 1380 380 Out of office hours emergencies 0800 1380 580 Repairs@syha.co.uk Text keyword Repair to 63333 If you text during office hours we aim to call you back by 5pm the same working day. 15
Praise or Grumble Your comments are very important to us.
Please use this form to let us know your praises, grumbles, comments, suggestions or to nominate a staff member or team that you feel has given not just a good service but a great service. We will respond to every form that is returned and enter you in to a prize draw to win High Street Vouchers worth ÂŁ50. We will draw the next prize on the 14th of January 2013.
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Nominate a staff member or team for a Good to Great Award Tell us about how staff have helped you
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If you would like to make a Praise or Grumble please call us on 0114 2702 685 or email praiseorgrumble@syha.co.uk
South Yorkshire Housing Association Delivering quality local living
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Freepost to: Praise or Grumble, South Yorkshire Housing Association Ltd, FREEPOST SF1336, Sheffield S1 1AY