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Doreen: My boiler started to misbehave itself after a period of time and I just put up with
it slightly because that's what you do and then it gradually got worse and the hot water
wasn't coming through regularly, and eventually it stopped, so I contacted the local community
centre for some advice and they came out to see me. A very nice lady from there came to
see me and while she was here, she contacted Wendy at the Coventry Law Centre and found
that I was able to get some help through the Coventry Law Centre, which I hadn't realised.
I hadn't known anything about that and eventually, after various sort of form fillings and contacting
various other people, it came about that the British Gas Trust was able to help me get
a new boiler so eventually the British Gas came and said yes, I can have the boiler.
They would see to all the payment and also they very kindly granted me some to clear
up the arrears. So I'm extremely grateful for the help that Wendy worked on my behalf
and eventually we had a boiler, which was installed.
Wendy: I looked at various trust funds and grants for Doreen and she wasn't eligible
for quite a few of them because some of the government grants, but she was eligible to
apply for the British Gas Energy Trust fund so we did an application and got some estimates
in and luckily a few weeks later it was successful and she's now got a new boiler and her arrears
were completely cleared. Coventry Law Centre offer legal advice to people that are on a
low income and the legal advice they offer is in different areas of law. With the British
Gas Energy Trust funded project, myself and my colleague can actually help anybody. Whether
they're in work or out of work, anybody that has found themselves in arrears or perhaps
they need certain items that have broken in the household; white goods or a boiler, or
perhaps they need help setting up a payment plan or anything to do with energy advice
at all. We can help anybody in the Coventry area. They don't have to be a British Gas
customer, they can be with any provider. Anyone that might have found themselves in arrears
for whatever reason or in any difficulty or someone that perhaps, as Doreen found, that
might have had their heating break down and they're not eligible for any other type of
grant.
Doreen: I had no idea that it existed as I say. Initially it was through the lady from
the Information Centre that came out to see me after I'd phoned them up wanting some advice.
They came out to see me and it was through them that I learned about the Coventry Law
Centre and, as I say, it was because they were able to contact the Law Centre for me
on my behalf, that Wendy then came out to start proceedings from her side of it and
it was great to know that that help was there.
Wendy: Part of the job is to be able to let people know that there is something out there
for them and most people that I meet don't even realise that, so the best part of my
job is being able to tell them that yes there is some help out there and there is things
that you can apply to that will help you out.
Doreen: And that, as well as the help, the financial help that I've received and the
new boiler, also the knowledge that there has become a friend is as nice as having the
help that sorted out the problem. The fact that, you know, there's definitely a friendship
there. Yep.
Wendy: Yep, mutual feeling
Doreen: Mutual feeling, yes. I'm very lucky in the fact that it was Wendy that came to
see me and helped get all the problems sorted out. It's great.