Alternative Fuels Payment

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Alternative Fuels Payment

£200 Government Alternative Fuel Payment for households without a direct connection to a mains gas grid supply for central heating.

! Scams

Households across the UK will benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee which reduces the price suppliers charge customers for units of gas and electricity, providing money off their energy bills. The scheme covers energy use from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2024.

In addition to this, households will also receive a £400 non-repayable discount off their energy bills, via the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme.

There is no need to apply for the Energy Price Guarantee or the Energy Bills Support Scheme (if you have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier). For more information on how to apply for the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Fund, please find the information below.

You will not be contacted by the government, or Ofgem asking you to share your bank details in order to benefit for the schemes.

Do not give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), reply to text messages, download attachments, or click on any links in emails if you’re not sure they’re genuine

The Government recognises that many households need support with the cost of rising energy bills. Along with the announcement of the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBBS) & the EBBS Alternative Fund (EBBS AF), the Government has launched the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) to provide support for households without a direct mains gas supply. For most households that have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier (meaning you pay an electricity supplier directly e.g., EDF or British Gas), you will automatically receive the payment as a credit onto your electricity account, from February 2023. If you do not receive the £200 payment automatically or if you do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, check you eligibility and apply below.

This is on top the £400 from the Energy Bill Support Scheme & the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Fund, there is no requirement to repay for any of the scheme.
 

Eligibility for the Alternative Fuel Payment

You may be eligible for a £200 Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) if your household is not connected to the mains gas grid & you use one the forms of fuel listed below to heat your home, 

  • tank or bottled gas
  • liquid petroleum gas
  • oil
  • wood
  • solid fuel
     

Receiving or applying for the payment

Most homes that are eligible for the £200 payment will get this automatically as credit onto the electricity bill account from February 2023. However, you may not automatically receive the payment if you home is either,

  • in an area which is mainly connected to the main gas grid
  • not connected to either the gas or electricity grid

Check your electricity energy account regularly from February 2023 to see if the £200 has been credited. You cannot apply if you have already received the £200 automatic Alternative Fuels Payment.

If you do not get this payment automatically, you may have to apply for this payment through the online gov.uk portal. 
 

Check eligibility and apply

To check eligibility, and apply for the Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP), please visit Apply for alternative fuel bill support if you do not get it automatically - GOV.UK.

For more information regarding the Alternative Fuel Payment, please visit Help with your energy bills: If you use alternative fuels for heating - GOV.UK.

If you cannot apply online, please call the helpline below:

Freephone: 0808 175 3943

(Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)

If you get your energy from a heat network

If you get your heating and hot water from a heat network, the organisation supplying that energy may get support from the Energy Bills Relief Scheme. They must pass on some or all of this support to you in a ‘just and reasonable way’. This is called the ‘pass-through requirement’ for energy price support.

They should do this as soon as they can. You should not need to do anything to get this support.

Your supplier must tell you in writing within 30 days of getting the support:

  • how much benefit they received
  • when and how they will pass this to you
  • what you can do if you disagree

You can read more about pass-through and what suppliers must do, including letter templates you can use by visiting Pass-through requirements for energy price support provided to intermediaries - GOV.UK.

If you do not agree with the support your heat network supplier passes to you, write to your supplier. If you still disagree, you can make a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.

! Scams useful links

Website: Government guidance on scams

There are several consumer-focused organisations which offer advice on how to protect yourself from scams, check if something is a scam, and how to report them. A selection of these is below:

Website: Action Fraud

Website: Which?

Website: Citizens Advice

Useful links:

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