More than £100m of vouchers within the authorities’s Energy Bills Support Scheme have nonetheless not been claimed, with just a few days to go earlier than the deadline.
Households on prepayment meters have been advised to redeem their vouchers by 30 June – in a remaining push to assist these but to profit from a reduction on their payments throughout the spiralling price of residing disaster.
Here’s all the things you should know earlier than Friday’s deadline.
What is the Energy Bills Support Scheme?
The Energy Bills Support Scheme was put in place to offer households a £400 low cost on their power payments throughout the winter between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023 in England, Scotland and Wales.
In Northern Ireland, individuals might get £600 below the Northern Ireland Energy Bills Support Scheme.
The low cost was despatched robotically to these paying by direct debit, with six instalments of £66 or £67 despatched every month over the winter.
People on conventional prepayment meters have been attributable to obtain vouchers by textual content, e-mail or submit which they may redeem after they prime up at their typical level.
However, many on prepayment meters, usually probably the most susceptible, haven’t taken benefit of the federal government low cost.
How do I do know if I’m eligible?
“All households with a domestic electricity connection in England, Scotland and Wales were eligible for the discount,” the federal government web site has stated.
And you’ll nonetheless get the low cost if:
• You have modified your cost methodology or tariff
• If you will have switched electrical energy suppliers
• If you will have moved to a brand new handle
• If your provider goes bust
• If you are at the moment in arrears in your electrical energy invoice funds
How can I declare my vouchers?
According to the federal government web site, when you’ve got a conventional prepayment meter, you robotically bought a reduction every month both as a redeemable voucher despatched by textual content, e-mail or submit, or an computerized credit score while you topped up at your typical top-up level.
Remember, vouchers expire after 90 days, however you may ask your electrical energy provider to reissue the vouchers earlier than the deadline.
Once you get your voucher, you may must take it to the Post Office or a PayPoint store so as to add it to your fuel or electrical energy top-up key or card.
How did different individuals get their reductions?
If you will have a sensible prepayment meter, your low cost was credited on to your sensible meter within the first week of every month, in accordance with the federal government web site.
If you pay by credit score or debit card, your low cost was robotically utilized to your account.
If you make your funds by direct debit, you bought the low cost robotically both as a discount to your month-to-month invoice or a refund was made to your account.
Do I would like proof of ID to redeem the vouchers?
Yes, however this depends upon your power provider, so you should definitely verify the corporate’s web site earlier than going to say your vouchers.
Proof of ID or handle consists of:
• Bank assertion
• UK driving licence
• Household invoice
• UK passport
• Council tax invoice
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With the deadline closing in, persons are being urged to redeem their vouchers.
So far, London has had the bottom redemption price for a month.
In town, there have been greater than 650,000 vouchers unclaimed on the finish of March when the scheme was speculated to have ended.
The record of areas with the share of vouchers not redeemed are:
Cities of London and Westminster – 44%
Hampstead and Kilburn – 44%
Ealing Central and Acton – 41%
Brent Central – 39%
Finchley and Golders Green – 39%
Glasgow Central – 38%
Hendon – 36%
Westminster North – 35%
Chelsea and Fulham – 35%
Hornsey and Wood Green – 35%
Brighton Pavilion – 34%
Holborn and St Pancras – 32%
Greenwich and Woolwich – 31%
Ealing North – 31%
Ilford North – 30%
‘The assist that retains their lights on’
Fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) stated individuals ought to reap the benefits of the vouchers and redeem them earlier than the deadline. Those with unclaimed vouchers are urged to contact their electrical energy provider as quickly as potential.
NEA chief govt Adam Scorer stated the NEA “knows how crucial the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme has been. The £400, paid in six instalments of £66 or £67, has helped many people this winter.
“But prepayment prospects – usually a number of the most susceptible – have been paid in vouchers and tens of millions stays unclaimed. Some prospects did not obtain them, others struggled to redeem them.”
Mr Scorer said the discount “will be the assist that retains their lights on, their oven cooking, their sizzling showers working, by the summer time. It’s important cash at a time when it is by no means been wanted extra.”
Content Source: information.sky.com