Financial Support

Here’s a list of energy suppliers who offer grants to their customers:

• British Gas Energy Support Fund
  – apply for a grant on the British Gas Energy Trust website

• Scottish Power Hardship Fund
  – apply for a grant on the Scottish Power Hardship Fund website

• Ovo Energy Fund
  – apply for a grant on the Ovo Energy Fund website

• E.ON Energy Fund
  – apply for a grant on the E.ON Energy Fund website

• E.ON Next Energy Fund
  – apply for a grant on the E.ON Next Energy Fund website

• EDF Energy Customer Support Fund
  – sign up to the priority services register to apply for a grant on the EDF Energy website

• Bulb Energy Fund
  – apply for a grant on the Bulb Energy Fund website

• Octopus ‘Octo Assist Fund’
  – apply for a grant on the Octopus website

If residents can’t get a grant from their own supplier, they might be able to get a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust. These grants are available to anyone – you don’t have to be a British Gas customer to be eligible.

Members may also be able to access local grants and you can see what’s available in your area on the Simple Energy Advice website.

When struggling with debt it can lead to feelings of depression or distress, the following organisations are there to help people in need of assistance.

• Breathing Space
• Samaritans

Your local authority website can also be a source of advice specific to your area.

*Please note these are links to external sites. Castle Community Bank is not responsible for the content or views expressed on them

Clones operate by stealing the details of genuine firms regulated by the FCA and pretend they are their own. They may hijack our name and imitate our website with tweaks to some or all of our contact details

So when you go on to check their credentials it can appear as if you’re dealing with a genuine company.

Be warned that if you proceed with an investment through one of these clones, you’re likely to lose any money your part with, as there is no protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

We cannot rule out the possibility that our trading name, logo and/or address will be, or has been, used to try and defraud the public through false correspondence. This type of fraud may be via email, text message or by using a website, any or all of which purport to originate from Castle Community Bank. The fact that an email or message of any kind appears to come from Castle Community Bank or North Edinburgh and Castle Credit Union does not, of itself, guarantee that that message is legitimate.

Your best defence is not to fall foul of a clone firm in the first place.

Follow our checklist to help you protect yourself against clones:

1. Ignore unsolicited emails and calls

Do not be taken in by phone calls or emails that arrive out of the blue offering tempting investment opportunities.

2. Apply caution when responding to social media ads

Beware of advertisements that pop up on social media promising high investment returns and steer you towards websites that are probably fake.

3. Do not click on to the link they send you

Even if you think an approach might be genuine do plenty of research before going ahead. Don’t click on to any links or attachments contained in an email – instead search online for the genuine company’s website address and contact them direct via the general switchboard number. Don’t forget clones often imitate real company websites – mimicking colour schemes and wording and using logos from regulators to add an air of legitimacy – but any phone numbers are likely to lead you only to the scammer.

4. Check the FCA register

Always check the FCA register for the company’s phone number, email and address and use these to make contact rather than those that appear on the website you’re directed to. Some scammers might claim the official FCA details are out of date, but do not be swayed by this.

5. Pause for thought

Don’t be rushed. However plausible a sales person comes across, don’t be rushed into agreeing a deal. If the returns promised seem too good to be true, they almost certainly are and at the very least the arrangement will be high risk. More likely, you could become a victim of an outright scam, and any money you hand over will be lost and unrecoverable

If you’ve any doubts about an investment offer then don’t proceed. Legitimate companies won’t pressurise you to move money quickly. Never give out bank or credit card details unless you’re confident you know who you’re dealing with.

Castle Community Bank strongly cautions the public against sending funds where they have been advised of a change of account details or been advised of different account details that those first advised by Castle Community Bank.

If you are offered deposit products or lending solutions, you should take these steps before handing over any money:

• Get the name of the person and organisation contacting you
• Check the Financial Services Register at www.fca.org.uk to ensure they are authorised
• Use the details on the FCA Register to contact the firm
• Call the FCA Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768 if there are no contact details on the Register or you are told they are out of date
• Search the FCA list of unauthorised firms and individuals to avoid doing business with at www.fca.org.uk/consumers/scams

Are you dealing with the real Castle Community Bank?

• Verify Castle Community Bank’s website and contact details by visiting https://castlecommunitybank.co.uk/ or the FCA’s register https://register.fca.org.uk/s/firm?id=001b000000MfALYAA3
• Castle Community Bank will have no liability whatsoever for any and all losses and/or damages suffered by anyone who falls victim to such deception. Castle Community Bank hereby disclaims all such correspondence and messages and warns its customers and the general public to disregard these and to exercise extreme caution at all times.

Report a scam

• If you are approached about a scam or you believe that you are a victim of fraud, you should tell the FCA using the fraud reporting form at fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam-unauthorised-firm, where you can find out about the latest scams. You can also call the Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768.
• If you have already paid money to fraudsters you should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
• You may also report to our trusted partner My Community Finance: cybersecurity@mycommunityfinance.co.uk

• ScamSmart website: https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart
• Read about Take Five, a national campaign to help everyone protect themselves from preventable financial fraud at https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/