National charity trains gas engineers to support people experiencing poor mental health

A partnership between Mental Health UK and the UK’s four gas distribution networks (Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales & West Utilities) will see gas engineers across England, Wales and Scotland trained to support people experiencing poor mental health. The partnership will also help the charity expand its award-winning Mental Health & Money Advice service, aiming to help almost 5,000 people with their mental health and financial challenges.

Gas engineers enter people’s homes every day in their work and often encounter individuals in difficult circumstances who are struggling with their mental health. Dedicated training by Mental Health UK will ensure engineers, and other customer-facing employees, are equipped to spot the signs that someone is experiencing poor mental health and signpost them to further support. Alongside this, employees will receive guidance on managing their own mental health and supporting their colleagues.

Under the partnership, the charity will also grow its Mental Health & Money Advice service. The service helps clients in financial difficulty, struggling with benefits claims and experiencing mounting debt. It recognises the impact money worries can have on mental health and the importance mental health plays in relation to money worries and helps clients access health and social care support.

Furthermore, with previous research finding that lower income households are at higher risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, the gas distribution networks and Mental Health UK will together work to increase awareness of carbon monoxide risks among those they support.

The two-year project takes a collaborative approach by the gas distribution networks, led by Wales & West Utilities and SGN, and supported by Cadent and Northern Gas Networks. The £3.2 million project is benefitting from £667,000 of funding which has been provided as part of the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA).

The partnership comes as Mental Health UK is seeing significant demand for debt and benefits advice from those it exists to support. From January to June 2024, the charity saw a 43% increase in people seeking advice on claiming PIP compared to the same period in 2023. The partnership will help to tackle some of the challenges energy debt can have on mental health by bringing financial gains to more people, and awareness of schemes to support them in their energy needs.

Brian Dow, Chief Executive at Mental Health UK, said:

“With gas distribution networks often communicating with the public and engineers entering people’s homes every day, the strength of this partnership is that it will create more opportunities for individuals struggling with mental health and money worries to access support.

“The challenges of the cost-of-living crisis have brought to the fore the link between mental health and finances, and it is now well-established that the symptoms of a mental health condition can make it more difficult to manage finances, while money worries can cause or exacerbate mental ill-health.

“Over the course of the two years we hope to support nearly 5,000 people across the UK by providing them with practical help to improve health and wellbeing, while also ensuring they can manage utility bills and live in a safe and warm home.”

Sophie Shorney, VCMA Manager at Wales & West Utilities, said:

“We are pleased to partner with the other UK GDN’s to support Mental Health UK to deliver further energy-related welfare advice and support.

“The project will provide support to consumers living with poor mental health in vulnerable situations and help them to tackle fuel poverty and debt issues, alongside CO safety issues.

“The VCMA allows us to work in partnership with organisations, like Mental Health UK, to reach more people and provide them with the help they need to ensure they receive the right support and help with their bills, to help keep them safe and warm in their own environment.”

Between April 2021 to March 2026, Wales & West Utilities has £25m to spend on projects which support consumers in vulnerable situations and raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide and keep people safe from the ‘silent killer’.

Funding is distributed through the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA), and 75% of the money will be spent on projects relevant to Wales and south west England only, while 25% will be spent on collaborative projects with the other gas networks across the whole of the UK.

If you have a project that you think Wales & West Utilities could support, either individually or collaboratively with other gas networks, then contact Wales & West Utilities at VCMA@wwutilities.co.uk.

Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.