Living with a liver condition

Cost of living support

If you are concerned about rising energy bills and prices, please find information below about the support available and some tips to help keep your house warm over the winter months.

The information on this page is for:

Adults and children with a liver condition
Family, friends, carers, and healthcare professionals.

On this page:

Benefits and Cost of Living Payments

There are a number of benefits available to you if you are on a low income or unable to work due to a health condition.

You can find information about benefits on our benefits page here.

Citizens Advice also has lots of information about benefits.

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Food

There are places across the UK where you can get free or cheap food.

Trussell Trust operate food banks but you’ll need a referral. Find out more here: Find a Food Bank – The Trussell Trust

You do not need a referral to use:

You can get in touch with your local authority to request further support with food. Find your local council – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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Mental health

Most of us are feeling the effects of rising prices. It’s important during this uncertain time to look after our mental health. Our mental health pages have information on coping strategies, support available from Liver UK, and other sources of support.

Looking after your mental health – Liver UK

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Energy saving tips

With energy prices high, it’s important to find ways to save energy. Here are some tips below.

Controlling temperatures in your home

Keep an eye on your thermostat as each degree you turn it up adds to your bill. The Energy Saving Trust recommend setting your thermostat between 18°C and 21°C

You can also turn off radiators and keep doors shut in rooms you don’t use. A draught excluder in the rooms you do use will help keep the warm air in.

Washing your clothes at lower temperatures and less frequently can also help reduce your energy bills. A wash at 30°C uses around 40% less electricity than higher temperature washes.

Lighting

Switching off lights when they’re not being used is not the only way you can reduce energy usage in your home.

If you are using traditional light bulbs in your home, switching to LED light bulbs, which are four to five times more efficient, can save you up to £240 per year.

Appliances

An oven uses more energy than other cooking appliances so you can save money by doing more meals using the stove, pressure cooker, slow cooker or microwave.

According to USwitch, cooking a casserole in a slow cooker will cost 22p compared to 54p in the oven, and a baked potato cooked in the microwave costs 3p compared to 27p in the oven.

When you’re not using chargers, make sure they are unplugged as they may be using electricity. Similarly, TVs, game consoles and tv boxes left on standby are also using electricity.

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General information and advice

Money menu page
Citizens Advice Bureau – Citizens Advice
Step change independent advice about deb. stepchange.org
Cost of living support – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Cost of living crisis – Cost of Living Support Scotland (campaign.gov.scot) Government website
For people on benefits, you can ask your provider for broadband and media about social tariffs
If you are struggling to pay your mortgage you can get help with Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme information on Support for Mortgage Interest
If you are struggling to pay your rent, speak to Citizens Advice or your local authority to find out what support may be available for you