The support forms part of a wider scheme to help vulnerable households while costs remain high.
Pensioners in North Lincolnshire can get free air fryers, slow cookers and kettles (Image: Getty)
State pensioners in one part of the UK are being handed free air fryers, slow cookers and one-cup kettles to help cut energy bills this winter.
The appliances are being awarded to people of State Pension age in North Lincolnshire as part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Household Support Fund, with other cost-of-living support being handed out by local councils in other parts of the UK too. The local councils across England have been given a share of a funding pot worth £742 million from the DWP as part of this year’s scheme, with the cash to be used to help support struggling households with essential living costs over the winter months, including energy bills and food.
The funding is allocated to eligible households from now until March 31, 2026, and it is at the discretion of local councils to independently decide how to share the cash, so depending on where you live, there may be different criteria to qualify for the support.
In North Lincolnshire, residents of State Pension age are being offered free air fryers, slow cookers and kettles by North Lincolnshire Council as part of the DWP scheme.
Both air fryers and slow cookers are generally more energy efficient to run than a traditional oven, so these appliances can help you avoid wasting energy and save you money. Slow cookers also lend themselves to batch cooking, which can help to save you around £112 per year, according to Utilita.
As for one-cup kettles, these are generally more energy-efficient, as they only heat the precise amount of water needed, helping to avoid wasting energy.
Pensioners in North Lincolnshire can apply for a free energy-saving appliance via the council website to help save on energy costs this winter, and will also be given access to free health cooking sessions to get the most out of it.
The council began delivering the appliances to successful applicants in September last year, but as the DWP scheme runs until March 31, there is still time to apply.
North Lincolnshire Council said: “We are pleased to be able to offer a free healthy cooking appliance to eligible residents in North Lincolnshire. To be eligible, you must live in North Lincolnshire and be of pension age.
“Pensioners can register easily by filling in the online form below, or by visiting one of the local community hubs in Ashby, Barton, Brigg, Crowle, Epworth or Scunthorpe, where staff can help with the process. Deliveries will begin from the middle of September into hubs where people will be able to collect their appliance.
“Anyone who received an appliance last time will not be able to register again with each eligible household able to receive one energy-efficient cooking appliance – such as an air fryer, slow cooker, or one-cup kettle – along with access to free healthy cooking sessions to help them get the most out of it.”
As Household Support Fund awards are distributed independently by local councils in England, the cost of living support available will vary by location, with various vouchers and payments up for grabs up and down the country, and these awards may be issued at different times depending on where you live.
The DWP says there may also be differences in who the support is given to and if or how you need to apply, as some local councils opt to share the money out through local charities and community groups, while some limit household applications to one per year.
For example, households in Staffordshire can get a one off £300 utility payment made direct to their utility provider via the scheme, while residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total.
In the East Midlands, households in Nottingham can apply for £100 vouchers to spend in supermarkets, while in South Yorkshire, Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs and other households can qualify for a £100 payment to go towards energy bills.
In the East of England, Cambridgeshire County Council is issuing £110 to eligible households in the form of direct payments or supermarket vouchers, while residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get payments of up to £130 to help with living costs.
