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Staying Warm with EB

Cooler weather can be a relief for people with EB whose skin suffers more in the heat, however keeping warm can also be a challenge.

Below you’ll find information on financial support that could be available to help you with your winter energy bills, plus some winter tips for EB from fellow DEBRA members to help you keep warm in colder weather.

Getting support with your energy bills

There are various support schemes that you may be eligible for which could help you reduce your energy cost, please see below for more information

Keeping the heating on when the temperature drops can be a challenge if you are on a low-income or in difficult financial circumstances, however support could be available to you through the Warm Home Discount Scheme which provides a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill.

You could be eligible if you’re accessing certain benefits such as income support or universal credit with any disability premium. To check your eligibility, you will need to contact your energy supplier and if you are eligible, your energy supplier will apply the discount directly to your bill.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme opens every October. For more information, please visit the GOV.UK overview of the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

You may be eligible for Cold Weather Payments if you’re accessing certain benefits or support for mortgage interest.

The scheme runs between 1st November and the 31st March each year and if you are eligible, you’ll receive a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for 7 consecutive days.  You’ll get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather with payments made automatically.

For more information and to check your eligibility, please visit the Government’s Cold Weather Payment page.

1If you were born before 25 September 1957 you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.

Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible. To find our more and to check your eligibility please visit the Government’s Winter Fuel Payment Page.

If you owe money (for example court fines, rent, Council Tax or energy payments), money might be taken directly of your benefits payments to pay the debt. This is sometimes called ‘third party deductions’ or, for gas and electricity payments, Fuel Direct.

Your energy supplier may have schemes or grants available to help you with energy costs, to pay off energy debt, or to make energy-saving improvements to your home. Please contact them for further information. 

If you don’t know who your energy supplier is, you can find out visiting Ofgem’s energy supplier finder tool.

Tips to stay warm with EB

We asked DEBRA UK members for their tips and advice on how to stay warm in winter with EB, this is what they recommended: 

  • Use a hot water bottle with a cover to help keep you warm, and for children with EB, sheepskin liners for car seats and buggies will help take off the chill 
  • Wear bamboo or seamless socks and add cornflower inside – this way your feet stay warmer, the risk of blisters is reduced, and the cornflower helps avoid sweating 
  • Wear viscose gloves beneath woolly gloves for an extra layer of insulation and to help avoid friction 
  • If you use a wheelchair outside, remember to take a spare fleece or blanket to help keep your knees and legs warm 

How good nutrition can promote EB healing

A well-balanced diet is important for everyone to provide the energy needed to keep active throughout the day and the nutrients needed for growth and repair. For people with EB, this is even more important for the following reasons: 

  • to compensate for nutrients lost through open wounds or lesions 
  • to supplement the nutrients necessary for optimal healing 
  • to help maintain an effective immune system to counteract infection 
  • to promote normal gut function and avoid constipation

Foods that can help you keep warm with EB

Whether it’s summer or winter, a healthy well-balanced diet is highly recommended and during the colder winter months eating certain foods can also help keep you warm.  

Foods which are known to help keep you warm include porridge, soup, ginger root (which you can add to a soup or stir fry), whole grains and complex carbs such as potatoes and lentils. Sardines are also known to contain fats that are stored in your reserves and broken down to generate energy which warms the body, and bananas are rich in magnesium and B vitamins which help the thyroid and adrenal glands regulate body temperature.

Using a slow cooker or air fryer is a way of making an easy winter warming meal with minimum fuss.

For more dietary tips to boost energy and promote healing, please see our EB-friendly recipes.