Households using alternative fuels will be able to access more financial support after the Government expanded its energy bills initiative.
Those whose heating comes from heating oil, LPG, biomass and other alternative fuels will receive £200 after a three-month extension was announced.
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps has increased the period of time that applicants can evidence purchase of alternative fuels, by three months back to June 2022, instead of September 2022. This ensures that households who purchased fuel in bulk ahead of winter are able to receive the £200 energy bill support they are entitled to.
Those eligible for a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment can now apply using receipts from June to ensure that those who bought fuel ahead of winter price rises aren’t penalised.
‘Help for those who need it’
Shapps said: “We have already stepped in and paid half of a typical household energy bill, but we also always want to make sure support gets to those who need it.
“That’s why we’re again stepping in to make sure those households using heating oil, LPG, biomass and more, can submit receipts for fuel purchases as far back as June 2022, because we recognise many households will have bought ahead of winter.”
This is just one of a range of ongoing schemes supporting households and businesses with energy costs at this time.
An estimated five million Cold Weather Payments worth £130 million were issued to households for support with energy bills this winter. Around 80 per cent of those payments – approximately four million – were triggered in December.
Minister for Pensions Laura Trott said: “Cold Weather Payments provide vital support to help people through cold snaps each winter.
“While those colder months are now thankfully behind us, there will be no let-up in our extensive support for households across the country.
“This government is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society. We’re delivering the biggest State Pension increase in history and boosting benefits by over 10 per cent, while our Energy Price Guarantee will continue to hold down people’s energy bills.”
More support schemes
Further schemes, which the Government is urging all eligible customers to apply for and take full advantage of, include:
- the Non-Domestic Alternative Fuel Payment scheme, providing top-ups starting at £750 for organisations using large quantities of kerosene heating oil, such as such as farms, hotels, charities and public buildings like schools and hospitals.
- the Energy Bills Support Scheme that has provided £400 payments to help households with winter energy bills. While most will have already received this automatically, those on traditional prepayment meters need to redeem support through vouchers from their electricity supplier at either a Post Office or PayPoint outlet, as listed on the voucher.
- the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding that provides the equivalent £400 payments to households who do not have a domestic electricity supply and were not eligible to receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme automatically.
Are you or your business receiving the support you’re entitled to? Let us know if you need our help.