Tag: energy bill support

People on low incomes urged to check if they can get £150 energy bill discount

Eligible low income households urged to make sure they get £150 in Warm Home Discount before 29 February

  • Low income households who qualify for the Warm Home Discount are urged to make sure they get the £150 discount.
  • Most of the 3 million households who qualify will automatically receive this energy bill support.
  • Households who need to confirm their details must do so by the end of February.

People on low incomes could benefit from a £150 rebate on their energy bills – and are being urged to act now where they need to, so they can get the support before this year’s scheme closes. 

The help is available to over 3 million households across Great Britain that are most at risk of fuel poverty, with many receiving the discount automatically. However, some customers in England and Wales have been sent a letter asking them to confirm their details by calling the Warm Home Discount Helpline so they can check their eligibility and get the rebate.  

To mark Big Energy Saving Week, Minister for Affordability and Skills Amanda Solloway is today urging any of these households who need to provide more information to call the helpline by 29 February and get the support they are entitled to.  

The scheme forms part of measures to keep costs down for families and put more money in their pockets. It targets support to protect those most at risk of fuel poverty this winter, following a significant drop in energy prices since their peak last year and the Government delivering on its pledge to halve inflation – which is now at a two-year low of 3.9%.  

Tax cuts announced at the start of the year will also support 27 million people across the UK, meaning a household with two average earners will save nearly £1,000 a year.

Minister for Affordability and Skills Amanda Solloway said: “We will always act to support the most vulnerable – and this means making sure those most in need are getting the right support.  

“Today, I am urging people on low incomes who have been notified about the Warm Home Discount to make sure they act now to get £150 off their energy bill.  

“Please check your letter and call our helpline before the end of February if you need to provide more information.”

The UK government’s Warm Home Discount offers targeted energy bill support for those most in need. This includes low income pensioners and households in England and Wales with high energy costs. 

These customers received a letter at the end of last year explaining the discount and instructions on any action they may need to take.  

For the vast majority of these customers, the discount is automatically applied to bills between October 2023 and March 2024, or is available as a top-up voucher for those with a prepayment meter. 

However, some people in England and Wales who received a letter and could qualify for the support have been asked ring the government helpline number provided in their letter to confirm their details.

Customers can also find out more on the government’s Warm Home Discount gov.uk page and use the online eligibility checker to see if they qualify, or call the general Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322. 

In Scotland, customers on low incomes who have not received a letter may still be eligible and should apply via a different route, by contacting their energy supplier as soon as possible.   

The support comes on top of wider action to protect vulnerable households, including a £900 payment for those on means-tested benefits, £300 for pensioner households and an extra £150 available for those on disability benefits.  

The Government has also invested over £2 billion into the Household Support Fund over the last two years, increased the Local Housing Allowance Rate so £1.6 million private renters on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit gain an average of nearly £800 a year and £600 in tax-free cash for pensioner households to help with energy bills through Winter Fuel Payments.

Cold Weather Payments have also been triggered to help households receiving certain benefits to stay warm this winter. The scheme – which runs until March 2024 – provides low-income households with an automatic payment of £25 following periods of cold weather.  

Anyone can access advice on how to reduce energy costs and heat their home for less via the government’s Help for Households website. This includes energy saving tips as part of the It All Adds Up campaign, which helped British households an estimated £120 million on their energy bills last winter.

More information about the Warm Home Discount is available here and households can check if they are eligible for the support via the GOV.UK online eligibility checker.

900,000 more households to benefit from £400 of energy bill support

UK Government launches portal for more households to apply for £400 payments towards energy bills

  • Households without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier will be able to apply for government support with their energy bills from today
  • With government energy bill support covering roughly half of typical winter bills, ministers urge over 900,000 households eligible for the £400 lump sum to apply as soon as possible
  • A telephone helpline is also available from today for people without access to the internet to apply for the payment

900,000 more households across England, Scotland and Wales will benefit from the government’s £400 help with energy bills, as an online application portal opens today.

Households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes, can now apply via a secure online portal to receive the support as a one-off, non-repayable lump sum under the ‘alternative funding’ route of the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF). For those without online access, a dedicated customer helpline is available to assist eligible customers.

The launch of applications follows months of close work with stakeholders across the country to deliver the government’s help for households with the cost of living. The alternative funding route is the latest in a range of targeted measures which are covering around half of a typical household’s energy bills this winter.

To ensure people feel the benefit of this support as quickly as possible, the payment will be provided directly into people’s bank accounts. Over £7.2 billion has been provided so far to 97% of households across England, Scotland and Wales through monthly instalments, which most households receive automatically in the same way they pay these bills.

The alternative funding route is designed to make sure the same level of support reaches those without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier. It’s also available for households who get their energy through a commercial contract or who are off-grid.

Ministers are today urging all eligible households to apply as soon as possible for their support, whilst also warning households to stay alert to potential scams and report them to relevant authorities where they are suspected.

The government will never provide any links to the application portal, or directly ask individuals to apply for the £400 support. Those that require additional help when applying for support may wish to seek assistance from a family member or trusted friend.

Minister at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Amanda Solloway, said: We understand the pressure households are under which is why we’ve already stepped in to pay around half of people’s energy bills this winter, and from today, thousands more will be able to apply securely for their £400.

“Today I’m urging everyone who couldn’t get their EBSS discounts in the regular way to apply via our secure channels. If you don’t have a direct contract with an electricity supplier, it’s essential you submit your application as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner help can get to you.”

The launch of the portal follows a successful pilot scheme with local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to refine the process, making sure the system can deliver support in a robust, secure and efficient manner.

Once customers have applied to receive energy support and their applications have been processed and verified, eligible customers’ details will be shared with Local Authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, who will deliver the support in one lump sum. Local authorities may request additional information to assist their verification process – but only once an application has been made via the secure portal or helpline. Applicants will only be able to submit information through these channels and should not contact their local authority.

The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant local authority.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps will shortly write to local authorities, thanking them for getting the scheme over the line after working hand in hand with his department over the last three months, and urging them to process applications as quickly as possible so households aren’t left waiting weeks after applying.

He’ll also say there must be no further delays to rolling out the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund – a similar scheme for households who use alternative fuels as their main source of heating, providing £200 towards energy costs, adding it will be live by 6th March.

This will help people who use alternative energy sources such as heating oil, biomass and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to heat their homes, but who were unable to receive the government’s £200 Alternative Fuel Payment automatically via their electricity supplier. Of nearly 2 million people who use these sources as the main means to heat their homes, around 15% will need to apply through a similar GOV.UK portal which will shortly open to applications.

These schemes are the latest part of a range of targeted measures to help households across the country with the cost of living, which are covering around half of a typical household’s typical energy bills this winter.

In addition to the £400 of total support provided through the EBSS, the government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) is saving a typical UK household £900 over this winter by reducing the unit cost of electricity and gas.

Together, the support provided through the EPG and EBSS cover around half of a typical household’s energy bills. The EPG will continue to provide support for another 12 months from April 2023, providing an average of £500 support for households in 2023 to 2024 in the face of energy prices that are forecast to remain high.

A further £1,200 of support in direct payments is also being provided to vulnerable households this year, with £26 billion worth of targeted support to help protect the most vulnerable announced by the Chancellor for the next financial year.