People living in Scotland are being urged to redeem any unused energy bill support vouchers with as many as 280,000 still remaining as unclaimed.
The call comes as a quarter of Scottish households with prepayment meters have not redeemed all of their energy rebate vouchers, increasing to one in three in Glasgow and Edinburgh. This is according to the latest Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) statistics show.
Over 1.1 million vouchers were issued in Scotland under the UK Government’s energy bill support scheme between October last year and March 2023. However at the end of March, there were more than 46,670 vouchers (30 per cent) unclaimed in the city alone.
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They are set to expire at the end of this month on June 30 with people being reminded to cash them in before this date.
The Government has said that while over four in five vouchers have been used across the UK, £130 million is still available in a final push to encourage households to claim the support.
Advice Direct Scotland, the national energy advice service for Scotland, has urged those eligible to claim the help they are entitled to.
Almost one in five households in Scotland use prepayment meters for their gas or electricity. Most households had £400 automatically taken off their electricity bills in six instalments, or had the money added to their accounts.
However, those on traditional prepayment meters need the vouchers, worth either £66 or £67, to get the discount. If a voucher does expire, customers can ask for it to be reissued. Suppliers should contact consumers if vouchers are not redeemed.
Sulaimon Olafare, head of marketing and media with Advice Direct Scotland, said: “With energy prices still incredibly high, it’s vital that households get all the support they’re entitled to.
“We would urge any households in Scotland who have a prepayment meter to check whether you have been sent a voucher and use it before it expires.
“It's concerning that so many people have not redeemed their vouchers, and we don't want anyone to miss out.
“If you haven’t received your vouchers, you should immediately get in touch with your energy supplier or Advice Direct Scotland’s expert advisors.”
Advice Direct Scotland, wants to make sure that households do not miss out and has urged Scots to:
- Check unopened mail and junk email, in case the vouchers have been missed
- Contact energy suppliers, using details found on bills, statements, and official websites
- Contact energyadvice.scot if there are any difficulties getting through to suppliers or resolving issues. The team can be contacted on 0808 196 8660 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm), or through www.energyadvice.scot
Households self-rationing energy due to the cost-of-living crisis can seek support from homeheatingadvice.scot
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