Nearly two million households will be starting to receive an extra £200 towards their heating bills from today.
Families who don't use mains gas will be getting the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP), and should start to see their money in the next few weeks. Most will get the £200 automatically as a credit on their electricity bill throughout February and won't have to do anything if they receive electricity to their homes. The money is in addition to the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) paid through their electricity supplier.
However the Government has warned that some households will need to apply for the support later this month and has warned people to be on their guard against scammers trying to con them into giving their details. Families who will need to apply include the small minority of customers with no direct energy supplier, such as those living in park homes or on static houseboats. These households will need to use an online portal that will launch later this month, as there is no central register of people who don't use mains gas to heat their homes.
