Energy watchdog Ofgem is urging people with pre-payment meters to check the expiration date on energy discount vouchers handed out by their energy suppliers.
The vouchers are being issued as part of the government's Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS), which gives every household a £400 discount on their bills over six months.
For people with smart meters or who pay monthly bills, the discount is applied automatically. But customers with traditional pre-payment meters are issued vouchers, via either email or post which they must redeem at a refill point.
READ MORE: British Gas under pressure to explain how it will compensate "vulnerable" customers
Ofgem warned that the monthly vouchers show an expiry date, which means some people may have vouchers that they can no longer use. It comes after PayPoint, which has been sending out hundreds of thousands of vouchers each month, published figures showing that nearly one in five of the £66 vouchers they sent out for October have still not been redeemed.
However, Ofgem says that expired vouchers can be replaced for new ones so people do not miss out on the support. Energy suppliers will know whether vouchers have been redeemed and should send out replacements.
Ofgem said: "Don’t worry, if your voucher has expired, it’s up to your supplier to issue you with a new one. Some suppliers, if they can see that you've redeemed another month's voucher, will automatically reissue vouchers that have expired, so check your post and email inbox.
"You can also contact your energy supplier, check they have the right contact details for you and ask them to resend your voucher."
Vouchers can be redeemed for credit when you go to top up your meter at a post office or pay point location.
According to the government website: "Vouchers expire after 90 days. If your voucher does expire, you can ask for it to be reissued. All vouchers must be redeemed by 30 June 2023. Your supplier will contact you if you do not redeem your voucher."
Last month, the government called on a number of energy suppliers to do more to help prepayment customers claim their discounts. Research showed that the suppliers with the lowest voucher redemption rates included Good Energy, Utilita and Scottish Power. Ministers have urged companies to make sure they are doing all they can to ensure customers with prepayment meters know what to look for and how to redeem the vouchers.
- Martin Lewis issues fees warning to students starting university from this year
- Greater Manchester MP hits back as Liz Truss claims she wasn't given 'realistic chance' as PM
- Lakeland's 1p per night gadget heats up SO fast, I'll never put my central heating on again
- Iceland’s message to shoppers after John Fury video sparks ‘huge’ demand for Prime rival
- State Pension claimants could be missing out on £369 monthly payment
