The Government has been providing support to households with the cost of their energy bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS). In most cases, EBSS has been credited to electricity accounts automatically each month, between October 2022 and March 2023. However, some people may live in households that did not receive money through the EBSS and may not know that they can still apply to receive this Government support. Age UK is encouraging eligible households to apply for the EBSS Alternative Funding scheme before the deadline on 31st May.
Thier guide on Government help for energy bills has information on the EBSS Alternative Funding scheme. This will be useful for households that missed out on the EBSS payments because they do not have a direct relationship with a domestic electricity supplier. The Alternative Funding scheme will provide a payment of £400, which is equivalent to support provided by the EBSS. The guide includes information on who is eligible for the support, including:
- Care home residents and others in care facilities/sheltered accommodation
- Park home residents, houseboats and caravans
- Social and private tenants who pay for energy through a landlord on a commercial supply
- Homes on a heat network/private wire
- Off-grid homes
Furthermore, for those who use alternative fuels, such as heating oil or Liquid Petroleum Gas and didn’t receive the one off £200 Alternative Fuel Payment automatically, the guide also contains information on how they can apply for this payment to receive some financial support towards their fuel costs.
You can read more at https://bit.ly/41wGEFZ
The deadline to apply for both schemes is 31 May 2023.
JEFF SMITH MP 