Households who will receive their £400 energy rebate as paper vouchers are concerned that postal strikes planned for the rest of the year could delay their payments.
Royal Mail workers are to stage a further 19 strikes in the next two months in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions, and worried customers have been discussing the impact this could have on their vouchers on social media.
Families who pay for their energy via a traditional prepayment - or pay as you go - meters are receiving their rebate as vouchers through the post, which they can then use to top up their electricity meter at a Post Office or shop which has a PayPoint of PayZone terminal. Households who have a smart payg are not affected as their rebate will be paid as a credit direct to the meter from their energy supplier.
Read more: Shock energy bills leave families in 'complete panic' after new rates update causes glitch
Families using prepayment meters - where they pay for their energy before they use it by topping up with either a key, card or online - already pay more than credit customers and many of them are on low incomes. People already struggling to pay their bills are often switched to prepayment meters by their energy supplier, as the meters can be used to claw back debt by taking a proportion of every top-up to pay for the debt.
Worried householders have already taken to social media to ask what will happen during the strikes, amid concern that the vouchers sent by their energy companies will be held up.
@tulipwindmill said on Twitter : "Bit concerned, prepayment customers are supposed to get a voucher in the post. How will that work with Royal mail strikes?" while @Ash_470 said: "Just in time for when the energy companies are sending out the vouchers. This will be affecting those on prepayment (not smart meter)."
On Facebook budgeting pages it was a similar story, with one poster saying: "I’m so worried I won’t get it for ages or at all with Royal Mail strikes. I haven’t got a letter that was sent for me two weeks ago because of the carry on with Royal Mail. I’m on an old pay n go meter… I hope they send it via email or text instead of post…" while another asked: "As the vouchers are coming out for the £66 top up. Firstly still NOT heard anything. Secondly with royal mail striking so much I'm worried sick I won't get any. What do I do?"
The Communication Workers Union announced that the action in October and November will be a mixture of single days and rolling action across Royal Mail Group's network. 13, 20, 25 October and 28 November are likely to be the days with the worst disruption as it involves delivery and collection staff, as well as those who sort parcels and letters.
Further strikes are planned for:
3, 9, 15, 24 November; 1 December: Processing, distribution, international, collections and admin workers, delivery staff are not yet involved
4, 10, 16, 25 November; 2 December: Delivery workers only, so collections from post boxes and Post Offices should take place.
2, 8, 14, 23, 30 November: "Network" staff walk out but delivery and collection staff should be working.
Now read:
