Households who missed out on the £400 energy support payment last time round should start to see their share in the next few weeks.
People who pay for their fuel either through a landlord via a commercial contract or live in a park home together with those who heat their homes with LPG or oil rather than gas or electricity have been waiting for payments and will finally get their money, the Government has confirmed.
However, you may need to apply for the payments, as they won't necessarily be made automatically, as there is no central register of people who don't use mains gas to heat their homes.
Read more: DWP cold weather payments triggered in North East postcodes after freezing weather
Most households pay their energy directly to the supplier, and are receiving the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) payment in six monthly instalments between October 2022 and March 2023. But although the Government confirmed in September that additional funding would extend the payment to help those who were previously excluded from the cost of living scheme, the details have only been published now.
The Government introduced new legislation in September to ensure that tenants whose energy bills are included in their rent would receive the money from their landlord, after charities warned that the 13% of UK renters who are signed up to a 'bills included' tenancy could miss out on energy bill support as they money would be paid to their landlord. The legislation forced landlords to pass on the £400 energy rebate to tenants with all-inclusive bills when they receive it.
However, several other groups have been waiting to see when they will receive their money. Here's what we know so far:
If you live in a park home or pay your landlord for your fuel separately from your rent
Thousands of people in the North East, including in Byker and parts of Washington live in homes that are are linked to a district heating scheme, when all properties are supplied with heating and hot water from a centralised boiler. There are also around 20 residential parks in the North East, where the residents usually pay for their heating to the park owner.
If either of these situation apply to you, you will have to apply for the £400 . Money Saving Expert has been told that applications will open in January, but there is no confirmation exactly when this will happen, or exactly when or how payments will be received by households, although it is known that you'll be able to apply either online, via the Gov.uk website, or via a dedicated customer helpline. Once your application has been processed, your details will be shared with your local council, which will make the payment in one instalment. The Government said it hopes to start making payments to several councils in mid-January with a view to widening the rollout in late January.
If you heat your home by heating oil, LPG or alternative fuels?
Families who use oil, LPG, a biomass boiler or use a similar alternative fuel to heat their home will receive an extra £200 from February 6 in addition to the £400 payment. Around five per cent of UK homes - or 1.5 million - are heated by oil, the price of which has soared from 58p per litre on October 1 2021 to around 94p per litre today. In March, the price hiked to £1.59 per litre before tailing back off to today's prices. Nearly 200,000 UK families heat their home using LPG. The one-off £200 will be paid automatically through your electricity supplier if you have a direct relationship with one. If you're fully off grid, you'll need apply though a Gov.uk portal that's due to launch for applications next month.
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