The existing energy price cap is set until March 31, with experts at USwitch predicting a 7% rise come April which could be disastrous for households hoping that summer would bring some respite from the crippling energy bills.
As of last summer, 6.1 million people were in fuel poverty according to the National Debtline, but there is a variety of help available if you’re finding it hard to pay energy bills to suppliers such as Octopus, EDF, E.on, British Gas.
The type of support and how much you could receive will largely depend on your circumstances. More information on all of the available assistance can be found on Gov.uk.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
One of the top seasonal benefits from DWP, the Warm Home Discount offers a one-off £150 discount on electricity bills if you meet certain income levels or benefits.
This is usually automatically applied to your bill although people living in Scotland may need to claim their share if they meet their supplier’s criteria.
Energy Company Obligation
This can help cover the cost of insulation work, repairs or even replacing your boiler and other heating upgrades to your home. To be eligible, you must be claiming certain benefits and living in private housing, or living in social housing.
Great British Insulation Scheme
You might be eligible for free or discounted insulation if your home has an energy performance certificate between D and G and falls within Council Tax bands A-D in England or A-E in Scotland or Wales.
This scheme is open to qualifying homeowners, landlords and tenants, although the latter should seek permission from their landlord first.
Warm Homes: Local Grant
This scheme is set to launch in April and will offer energy upgrades and low carbon heating options, such as solar panels and air source heat pumps, through local authorities.
To qualify, your home must be privately owned in England with an energy performance certificate between D and G, and you must be on a low income.
Household Support Fund
This support is only available until the end of March. It’s distributed by local councils who can determine the type of support it provides and its own unique eligibility criteria.
However, the Government has encouraged authorities to ensure it assists the most vulnerable households with essentials like energy bills.
Cold Weather Payments
This seasonal benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is available to individuals receiving certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest. It offers a £25 payment for every seven consecutive days that a postcode is forecasted to have or records freezing temperatures of zero degrees celsius or below until the end of March.
So far, nearly 800 postcodes have been triggered this winter following a series of cold fronts in January.
Winter Heating Payment
In Scotland, residents will receive Winter Heating Payments instead of Cold Weather Payments. This scheme operates a bit differently as you’ll need to be receiving one of the qualifying benefits to be eligible, which should trigger an automatic one-off payment of £58.75, regardless of the weather.
More information on this assistance can be found on MyGov.Scot.
Temporary credits
For those finding it difficult to keep their prepayment meter topped up, they may be able to request temporary credit from their supplier if they’re considered vulnerable. According to Citizens Advice, this can include being over state pension age, struggling with living costs, being pregnant or having children under the age of five living with you.
