In February the government announced details of a national scheme to support households with their energy bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme 'Alternative Fuels Payment'.
This applies to households who were unable to access previous government-funded support which was paid direct to households by their energy supplier because they:
- don't have a direct relationship with their energy supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes, and/or
- are reliant on solid fuels to heat their homes. Typical solid fuels include heating oil, LPG and biomass.
If a household meets the qualifying criteria for both schemes it is possible to obtain both grants. However, a separate application must be submitted for each scheme.
The council has begun processing applications and over 100 applications have already been approved for payment. Successful applicants are receiving one-off payments of £400, where they do not have a direct relationship with an energy supplier. In some cases applicants are receiving £200, where they rely on solid fuels to heat their homes.
Apply for energy bills support
All applications must be submitted online (see links below) or by contacting the call centre which has been set up by government: 0808 175 3287.
If you don't have a direct relationship with your energy supplier
If you rely on solid fuel to heat your home
Once an application has been submitted the government will complete initial validation checks before the claim is passed to the City Council for processing.
All residents who believe they may be eligible for support are encouraged to read the eligibility criteria carefully and to submit an application if they meet the criteria. The council will process all applications within 30 working days of receipt although in many cases it will be possible to make a payment more quickly. Staff in our contact centre do not have access to the government IT systems which are used to process claims, so customers are encouraged not to chase outstanding claims until the 30-day processing period is over.
If you are unsure about whether you qualify the best way to find out more is to telephone 0808 175 3287 and speak to the national team of staff working in the dedicated call centre which has been set-up by the government.
The national team can also support residents who do not have access to the internet and can make arrangements for the relevant supporting information to be submitted by post.
Applications for both schemes must be submitted by 31 May 2023.
