The UK government has announced that an additional 900,000 households across England, Scotland, and Wales will benefit from its Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS), as a new online application portal opens up to applicants. This scheme is designed to help households cope with the cost of living, by covering around half of a typical household’s energy bills for the winter season.
Under the EBSS, households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes, can apply to receive a one-off, non-repayable lump sum of £400 via a secure online portal. The government has also established a dedicated customer helpline to support those who do not have online access but are eligible for the scheme.
The government is urging eligible households to apply for their support as soon as possible, while also warning them to stay alert to potential scams and to report them to relevant authorities if suspected. The government will never provide links to the application portal or directly ask individuals to apply for the £400 support. Those who need extra help when applying for support might want to ask for help from a family member or a reliable friend.
Once customers have applied to receive energy support and their applications have been processed and verified, their details will be shared with local authorities across England, Scotland, and Wales, who will deliver the support in one lump sum. When an eligible household will receive support will depend on the date of the application and how quickly the relevant local authority can process the payment.
The government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) is saving a typical UK household £900 over this winter by reducing the unit cost of electricity and gas, in addition to the £400 of total support provided through the EBSS. Approximately 50% of a typical household’s energy bills are covered by the combination of EPG and EBSS support.
The government will also be launching a similar scheme for households that use alternative fuels as their main source of heating, providing £200 towards energy costs. Nearly 2 million people in the UK use alternative energy sources such as heating oil, biomass, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to heat their homes, and around 15% of them will need to apply through a GOV.UK portal that will shortly open to applications.
To help households across the country with the cost of living, these schemes are part of a range of targeted measures. For the next 12 months beginning April 2023, the EPG will provide an average of £500 in support to households, given the prediction of ongoing high energy costs, through 2024. The Chancellor has announced £26 billion of targeted support for the next financial year to help protect the most vulnerable, as well as an additional £1,200 of direct payments to vulnerable households this year.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
