The cost of living crisis continues and as household bills hit the doormat, assistance in paying those hefty fuel costs is always welcome. There is a change in the way families can apply for help towards their energy bills that has meant that more households will be able to claim an extra £200.
Nearly two million households who live off the mains gas grid can get the extra £200 Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP), with most already receiving the £200 automatically as a credit on their electricity bill throughout February. The money is in addition to the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) paid through their electricity supplier, according to a report by Chronicle Live.
The news will be welcomed by households who use heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal or biomass. Those families who didn't receive an automatic payment of £200 needed to apply for the cash using an online portal. To be eligible, they needed to provide evidence of payments of alternative fuel from September 2022. However, this has been extended backwards three months from September to June 2022, meaning more families will be able to claim the money.
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According to the report, those 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 have to use an online portal to get the money, as there is no central register of people who don't use mains gas to heat their homes.
Grant Shapps, secretary of state for energy security and net zero said: “We have already stepped in and paid half of a typical household energy bill, but we also always want to make sure support gets to those who need it. That’s why today we’re again stepping in to make sure those households using heating oil, LPG, biomass and more, can submit receipts for fuel purchases as far back as June 2022, because we recognise many households will have bought ahead of winter.”
The AFP was doubled to £200 in the Autumn Statement to help people who use alternative energy sources to warm their homes amid the cost of living crisis. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the 'vast majority' of eligible households have had their payment automatically, but the change meant that households who purchased fuel before September last year can apply for the £200 support using their receipts from earlier in the year.
The BEIS said the move was made because some households purchased fuel in bulk ahead of the winter price rises in October and it was "right" that these households weren't penalised for planning ahead.
Households who solely use alternative fuel have until Wednesday, May 31, to make their claim for the extra cash by filling out the online application form through Gov.uk. If you do not have online access, you can also apply through the scheme's contact centre by calling 08081753287. Once you have applied, the application will be processed and verified and if successful, your details will be shared with your local authority who will then make the one off payment.
A Government spokesperson said: "Customers will not be asked for details by any individual or organisation prior to this or outside of the portal, and any such contact is likely to be a scam. If you require additional help when applying for your AFP support, you may wish to seek assistance from a family member or trusted friend."
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 68p per litre today. In March 2022, 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.
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