Many households across Wales are desperately waiting to find out when they will receive a £400 energy rebate this winter. Bills will be cut by £400 for all domestic electricity customers through the UK Government's expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS). Only 1% of households are not eligible for the discount.
If you do not have a domestic electricity meter and a direct relationship with an electricity supplier - such as if you live off grid, in a park home or houseboat - the government has said that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills.
Read more: Children grow up in poverty in the shadow of Wales' greatest wealth
The Liverpool Echo reported that there is no need to contact your energy provider or apply for the discount. Starting in October 2022, the discount will come into effect on your monthly household electricity bill for six months.
You’ll get the discount monthly, even if you pay for your energy quarterly or use a payment card. Here is how the discount will be applied:
- October - £66
- November - £66
- December - £67
- January - £67
- February - £67
- March - £67
If you have not received your first instalment by the end of October 2022, you should contact your supplier.
Direct Debit customers
You’ll get the discount automatically in one of the following ways, as:
- a reduction to your monthly direct debit amount
- a refund to your bank account following the monthly direct debit collection
Traditional Pre-Payment customers
Traditional prepayment meter users will get equivalent vouchers that you will need to redeem. If you have a traditional prepayment meter you’ll get the discount from the first week of each month.
You’ll get the discount automatically in one of the following ways, as:
- redeemable vouchers, sent by SMS text, email or post
- an automatic credit when you top up at your usual top up point
Your electricity supplier will let you know in advance how you will get your discount. Your supplier should have your contact details, but if you’re not sure or you don’t receive any information from them, you should check that they have your latest number and email.
If you get vouchers you’ll need to redeem them at a top-up point. Your supplier will tell you where to redeem them, for example at a Post Office branch or a PayPoint shop. Payzone outlets are unable to accept the vouchers.
Smart Pre-Payment customers
Your discount will be credited directly to your smart prepayment meter in the first week of each month.
Standard credit or payment card customers
Your discount will be automatically applied as a credit to your account in the first week of each month. The credit will appear as it would if you had made a payment.
If you pay for electricity as part of your rent
If your landlord has a domestic electricity contract with a licensed electricity supplier, and you pay for your electricity as part of your rent, your landlord may pass their discount on to you. Your landlord may be reselling the electricity to you based on your usage, in which case:
- they must comply with the maximum resale price rules which say they must not make a profit
- the maximum resale price for electricity is currently set at the same price as that paid by the person reselling it (see Ofgem’s guidance on ensuring customers are being charged no more than they should )
Your landlord may charge an ‘all inclusive’ rent, where a fixed cost for energy usage is included in your rental charges, in which case:
- they are encouraged to come to an agreement with you on the discount in line with the arrangement in your tenancy agreement
- the landlord’s fixed charge may already provide you with similar protection from the impact of the energy price increase
Sign up to our money-saving newsletter here
READ NEXT:
- Police force issues apology to two women abused by superior officer
- Children grow up in poverty in the shadow of Wales' greatest wealth
Governance in Wales is a convoluted mess that needs to be fixed
The vitally-important questions Welsh police force refuses to answer after top officers dismissed
- The most polluted areas of Wales revealed
