This blog was written in February 2023. The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding closed to new applications on 31 May 2023. Find more information on financial support here.
This runs alongside the Energy Price Guarantee, which sets the maximum price suppliers can charge households for a single unit of gas and electricity. The rate set by the guarantee replaces the Ofgem price cap until the end of June 2023. From 1 July, unit rates will be set by the Ofgem price cap again.
On 27 February 2023, the UK Government announced that a further 900,000 homes in Great Britain homes and Northern Ireland would be getting support under the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding, the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding for Northern Ireland and the Alternative Fuel Payments Alternative Fund.
Those that are eligible for the funds will have until 31 May 2023 to apply for them.
What support is available?
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding is for people who don’t have a domestic electricity supply and didn’t get the automatic £400 payment. It’s slightly different if you live in Northern Ireland.
Those that heat their homes using alternative fuels other than gas will also get a payment from the Alternative Fuel Payments Alternative Fund.
There are three different types of support available.
In Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales):
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding gives you a one-off payment of £400 if you aren’t on a domestic electricity connection or don’t have direct contact with a supplier to get an automatic payment.
The Alternative Fuel Payments Alternative Fund gives you a one-off payment of £200 if you don’t use gas to heat your home, use other fuels for heating and wouldn’t be able to get an automatic payment from your electricity supplier.
In Northern Ireland:
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding for Northern Ireland gives you a one-off payment of £600, regardless of how you heat your home. This is a combination of the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding and the £200 Alternative Fuel Payments Alternative Fund.
Who can get this support?
You can apply for this support if you live in Great Britain and Northern Ireland and fit the following criteria:
You’re a care home resident or in care facilities/sheltered accommodation (entirely or partly self-funded).
You live in a park home.
You live on a houseboat or in a caravan and can provide proof of address.
You’re a social or private tenant and pay your landlord on a commercial supply.
Your home is on a heat network/private wire.
You’re off grid.
You live in a farmhouse used for only for domestic purposes.
I live in Great Britain, and I think I’m eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. How do I get the £400 payment?
You have to apply for it. If you live in Great Britain, you can apply online by:
Searching for “Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically” on the Gov.uk home page or by using a search engine.
If you don’t have online access or can’t submit a form, you can call the helpline on 0808 175 3287.
I live in Northern Ireland, and I think I’m eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding for Northern Ireland. How do I get the £600 payment?
If you live in Northern Ireland, you must meet the same criteria as the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding and apply for it.
Going to the Gov.uk website and searching for “Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically” on the Gov.uk home page or by using a search engine.
If you don’t have online access or can’t submit a form, you can call the Northern Ireland helpline on 0808 175 3894.
When do I need to apply by?
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding scheme is open for applications in Great Britain and Northern Ireland until 31 May 2023.
When and how will I get the payment?
If you live in Great Britain:
After you’ve applied, your details will be shared with your local authority.
They’ll verify your information and pay the £400 into your bank account as a one-off payment.
The date you get the £400 will depend on when you applied for the fund and when your local authority processes the payment.
The government has said that local authorities should make payments by 7 July 2023.
If you live in Northern Ireland:
After you’ve applied, the government will share your details with its contracted delivery partner.
The delivery partner will verify your details.
The government will then pay you the £600 as a one-off payment.
What is the Alternative Fuel Payments Alternative Fund?
You’ll get the £200 Alternative Fuel Payments Alternative Fund if you live in Great Britain and use alternative fuels such as heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal or biomass to heat your home.
This applies to me. How do I get the £200 payment?
If you get your electricity from a supplier, you should have been paid this automatically. Most people should have received this payment from 6 February. If you haven’t received it yet, get in touch with your supplier.
If you don’t get your electricity through a supplier, you’ll have to apply for the funding through the Gov.uk portal. This will tell you what you need to do to apply. If you’re eligible, your local authority will pay you the £200.
