Energy Helpdesk
The challenge
There are warnings about higher energy prices. Rising gas prices mean higher energy bills. There are currently low-income households combined with higher energy bills.
Energy helpdesk migrants is an extension initiative of the walk-in clinic by the Leids Steunloket Migranten foundation. With this project, the LSM aims to reach and advise as many different groups and multilingual migrants in Leiden as possible.
The goal
We aim to have an energy helpdesk in various languages: besides Dutch, English, and Arabic, we are also looking at French, Persian, Turkish, Tigrinya, and many more.
Based on our experience with the target group, we aim to reach as many groups and multilingual migrants in Leiden as possible. To better understand energy poverty, it is important to look not only at the affordability of the energy bill but also at the quality of the home and the possibilities of residents to make it more sustainable.
At the energy helpdesk migrants, our volunteers/energy coaches offer information, advice, referral, guidance, mediation with energy companies, cooperation with neighbourhood ambassadors, and building associations in Leiden (Portaal, de Sleutels, Ons Doel) to make agreements on energy-saving options. Our volunteers (energy coaches) visit people’s homes and not only give tips and advice but also make small changes to their homes, such as installing draught strips and radiator foil, free of charge.
Through flyers in different languages, the LSM is going to spread information about the energy helpdesk so that people can reach us more easily. The flyers will be translated and distributed in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Amharic, Tigrinya, English, Spanish, and French. We aim to make 3 home visits every week to reach out to particip
Energy helpdesk criteria
Met dit project streeft het LSM ernaar dat er zo veel mogelijk migranten van verschillende volksgroepen kunnen worden bereikt. Vluchtelingen, nieuwkomers, reguliere migranten, oudere migranten, jonge migrantengezinnen, student-migranten en zowel huurders als woningeigenaren. Met dit project wil het LSM de betrokkenheid van Leidse migranten bij de energietransitie stimuleren. Door meer informatie en vertaaldiensten aan te bieden, komt er een helderder beeld van de energietransitie bij de migranten in Leiden en dat levert een positiever effect en bewustzijn hiervan op. Er zal sprake zijn van opbouw van kennis en samenwerking met een kennispartner.
Chain partners
Recently, the LSM has expanded its network whereby very useful cooperation has been established with several Leiden organisations such as BuZz Leiden foundation, a Good Neighbour, Incluzio Leiden foundation, the social district team, Leergeld foundation, Gilde SamenSpraak foundation, legal desk Leiden, refugee work Leiden, association Playground Westerkwartier, Foundation 2030, energy district ambassadors (GaGoedLeiden) and so on. Poverty and climate change are serious problems. Problems we also have to deal with in Leiden. Moreover, the solution to one problem can exacerbate another. That should not happen. We want to work together to combat climate change by reducing CO2 emissions and switching to sustainable energy. By translating from Dutch into Arabic, Turkish and other languages, we will be able to form a clearer picture of the energy transition.
- There is a good working network with the neighbourhood ambassadors. Our volunteers can undergo training through Hoom.nl so that we can build a permanent LSM energy coach team. They will start working to scale up this initiative and make positive contributions to sustainability, climate adaptation, and biodiversity.
- Through this helpdesk, we want to form a frame of reference and encourage energy transition for all migrants in Leiden.
The multilingual Energy Helpdesk
The Energy Helpdesk is an extension initiative of the walk-in consultation hours of the Leids Migrant Support Desk Foundation. The LSM fulfills this role based on a combination of social knowledge, social and cultural baggage, knowledge of the social map in the Leiden region and the command of various languages of and by its employees. The LSM recently expanded its network, entering into useful collaboration with various Leiden organizations, including the neighborhood ambassadors (GaGoed and the municipality of Leiden).
Through the multilingual Energy Helpdesk, we reach as many different groups and multilingual migrants in Leiden as possible, so that they can indicate whether and to what extent they suffer from energy poverty and we give them useful tips and advice to save energy.
The LSM multilingual energy helpdesk offers this assistance in various languages: Dutch, English, Italian, Arabic, French, Persian and Tigrinya. No fewer than five new Energy Coaches have recently been trained via hoom.nl.
The multilingual Energy Helpdesk is run by eight enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. We are very proud of our energy coaches! They work hard; They come to people’s homes and not only give tips and advice, but also immediately make small changes to the home for free, such as installing draft excluders and radiator foil. The multilingual energy helpdesk can also help with the application for the one-off energy surcharges.
The energy coaches ensure that even more people can receive personal energy advice in various languages. This initiative is in line with sustainable issues such as climate adaptation, biodiversity and building knowledge about the energy transition.
The Multilingual Energy Helpdesk consultation hours:
There are warnings about higher energy prices. Rising gas prices mean higher energy bills. The multilingual energy helpdesk will help you with advice on saving on your energy costs. We offer free small measures such as draft excluders, radiator foil, LED lamps. We are happy to help you apply the saving materials.
Do you have a low income and high energy costs? And have you not yet received an energy allowance?
The multilingual energy helpdesk can help you with the one-off energy allowance application.
Would you like to know more about this work? Then email info@leidssteunloket.nl
Or call: 0685887463/0633447689 via WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram
Monday consultation hours by appointment:
From 12:30 to 2:00 PM
Location: Oude Rijn 44B Leiden/De Bakkerij
Walk-in consultation without appointment:
Thursday from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: Ten Katestraat 10 A 2321 AW Leiden/Playground Westerkwartier.
September 2023 Action
We have started the small-scale and frugal energy saving campaign at the following locations:
– De Hoflaan,
– The Akkerhof,
– Willem Klooslaan
Due to the increase in energy prices, we will provide you with free help to save energy in the following ways: Providing advice with a free energy saving box.
For more information, you can email:
info@leidssteunloket.nl
We will call you to arrange an appointment with you.
Greetings from the Leiden Migrant Support Center and the Portal Housing Foundation.
Our energy coaches recently completed the training via Hoom.nl to become energy coaches for tenants with great success. In this training, our energy coaches have learned to talk to tenants. What measures are possible, how they can deal with objections and how they can draw up a plan together with the tenant.
The LSM multilingual energy helpdesk has several languages: Dutch, English, Italian, Arabic, French, Persian and Tigrinya.
We are very proud of our energy coaches! They are working hard, coming to people’s homes and not only giving tips and advice, but also immediately making small changes to the home for free, such as installing draft excluders and radiator foil. The multilingual energy helpdesk can also help you with the application for the one-off energy surcharges.
Based on our knowledge and experience with the target group, we reach the multilingual residents of Leiden to gain a better insight into energy poverty. It is important to look not only at the affordability of the energy bill, but also at the quality of the home and the possibilities of residents to make it more sustainable.
Are you interested in becoming an energy coach? Take a look at the vacancies on our website: Become a volunteer
