Are you missing out on money off energy bills?
Check you’ve used your heating voucher, says Paul Lewis
Half a million people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a prepayment meter have not used vouchers they are entitled to, which are worth £66 or £67 a month off their energy bills.
The latest figures from the Department for Energy show that eight million voucher payments were due to be circulated but 131,000 have yet to be delivered, and around two million vouchers that were delivered had not been used by the end of January.
The vouchers are used to make the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme payments to two million prepayment customers who have a traditional meter. They have a card or key that they take to their local PayPoint or post office to top up and then plug into the meter to keep the power on. They are sent a monthly voucher for £66, or £67 from December, by post, email or text.
If you have a traditional prepayment meter but have not received a voucher, your check emails, texts and letters. If you cannot find it or it has expired – they last three months – contact your energy supplier to get replacements.
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All other electricity customers will get the payments automatically, either as a credit on their electricity account or as a payment direct into their bank account.
Meanwhile, in February all domestic electricity customers in England, Scotland and Wales whose address is off the gas grid are also getting an extra £200. This Alternative Fuel Payment should have been paid by the end of February, normally as a credit on electricity bills or as a voucher for those with a traditional prepayment meter.
Afurther 900,000 householders who are not domestic customers of an electricity supplier must make a claim for the £400 energy bills payment – and, if appropriate, the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment – using a form on the gov.uk website: search for “energy bill support not automatic”.
In Northern Ireland every domestic electricity customer should have been paid £600, either into their bank account or as a voucher to cash at the post office. Payments were due by the end of February; contact your supplier if you have not had one.
QUESTIONS? Send any questions to Paul.Lewis@radiotimes.com.