Twenty thousand for advances: charity and mayors help the South Moravians with their energies
“Grandma was shocked, of course, and didn’t know what to do. The monthly advances amounted to twenty thousand crowns. We dealt with it in the family and got advice from a professional company. In the end, we chose a smaller supplier to have the energy purchased in advance at solid prices. It’s a risk, but the new contract with the big players in the market was unfavorable for us at the moment. They are terrible bats, “a man from the south of Moravia, who did not want to publish his name, told Deník.
There are now similar stories after the collapse of Bohemia Energy and thousands of other suppliers.
They try to help people in need, for example, in the Blansko charity, where staff are available on the crisis service line. People can also come there in person on weekdays. The most vulnerable people in the energy market today are mainly pensioners and single-income families. “They can come to us with an energy bill and the original contract. Together we will find out what the possibilities are and we will decide what to do next. The key is to conclude a proper energy supply contract as soon as possible. If people do not know how and where to look for a new supplier, we can also help them with that, “said Martina Modrová, head of the charity crisis services.
She added that some people have increased energy costs, are entitled to social benefits as a contribution or housing supplement. Where appropriate, one-off emergency immediate assistance. “We can also advise people on these other applications for social benefits,” Modrová said. She added that in case of emergency, the charity staff will come to the people and home.
Employees of the Vyškov charity have seen an increased interest in help in recent days in connection with the collapse of energy suppliers in the region. “People are turning to us more and more often asking for food aid. My colleague, who is in charge of this, confirmed to me that you perceive a high number of people who do not even have money for basic foodstuffs. We provide them with this form of support and we are ready to respond to further requests if they arise, “said Barbora Němčáková, project manager of the Vyškov charity.
In the south of Moravia, they also offer help, especially to the elderly or disabled, directly in some municipal offices. For example in Suchý in the Blansko region. “I am practically from the field, so the issue of energy supply is not foreign to me. In the past, I dealt with cases in which the locals burned energy. Many, especially old people, were now frightened and clueless. I helped them settle contracts with new suppliers. There were about ten of them, “the mayor of Suchý, Jakub Hlubinka, told Deník.
People who switch from a supplier of last resort to a regular one by the end of the year can benefit from extraordinary immediate assistance to pay high energy fees. Under milder conditions than before, but only temporarily. If applicants do not have savings greater than twice the subsistence level of their household, if they double the cost of housing, they will receive money to pay the energy bill. “It will be a border that we will not take into account property,” said the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs Jana Maláčová.
According to government officials, up to several hundred thousand households could apply for support. Labor offices set aside on the agenda of benefits due to workers’ energies. “In total, we allocate a thousand officials for income and a thousand for administration for the whole matter. We assume that we will be able to process ten thousand requests per week, “Maláčová added.