The UK Government recently announced that most eligible off-grid households have started to receive the £200 Alternative Fuel payment (AFP) discount automatically through their electricity supplier. Payments started on February 6 and are expected to be completed before the end of the month, however, this will depend on customers’ suppliers and how they pay their bills.
The vast majority of eligible households using oil, coal, LPG and biomass will not need to take any action to receive the support, but a small proportion will need to apply for it. These households will be able to make a claim at the end of February, through a GOV.UK portal which will include an overview of eligibility and what applicants need to do to apply for support.
In order to identify households that are eligible for the Alternative Fuel Payment, the UK Government has produced a list of eligible Meter Point Administration Numbers (MPANs) and told electricity suppliers to pay those customers.
MPANs are unique codes assigned to everyone’s electricity supply.
The UK Government determined if an MPAN was eligible by taking a list of all domestic MPANs and removing those which are in on gas grid postcodes or where the local area predominantly uses electricity for heating, as defined by the most recent Census in their area.
£400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding
The UK Government also recently shared updates on how the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) will be administered and delivered. The application portal is expected to open on or before February 27, 2023.
Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart MP confirmed last week that the one-off, non-repayable lump sum will be delivered by 363 local authorities across Scotland, England and Wales, providing financial support to around 900,000 households without a direct relationship with a domestic electricity supplier.
He also said that guidance on the payment will be sent to local authorities ahead of the application portal opening, but couldn’t give an exact date on when the money will land in bank accounts as it will depend on how long it takes for a local council to process the application.
Eligibility guidelines will be published on the application portal when it opens at the end of the month.
A dedicated phone line is also due to open on February 27 to help those who do not have internet access and are unable to complete the short application form online.
No details about the portal have been released yet, other than it will be on GOV.UK.
To keep up to date with the latest news on the Alternative Fuel Payments, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook page here, or subscribe to our newsletter which goes out daily, Monday to Friday - sign up here.
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