Martin Lewis has urged households to apply for an energy grant worth up to £1,500 if you’re struggling to pay your bills.
British Gas is reopening its Energy Trust Individual and Families Fund tomorrow (July 1) - and you don’t need to be a customer to apply for help.
To be eligible for a grant worth up to £1,500, you need to live in England, Scotland or Wales and be in debt to your energy supplier.
You must also have no more than £1,000 in savings and have already sought help from a money advice agency.
The easiest - and the free way - to do this is through a charity.
The main ones who will help you with energy bills are National Energy Action, Home Energy Scotland and Citizens Advice.
British Gas has a list of the full eligibility criteria for its Energy Trust Individual and Families Fund on its website.
Flagging the scheme in the latest MoneySavingExpert newsletter, Martin said: “[The scheme has] been closed to non-customers since spring, so it's good news it reopens on Friday, July 1.
“Applications and eligibility is tricky, so often it's easiest to apply via a help charity.”
British Gas runs a separate Energy Support Fund for its customers all-year round.
Through this help, you can apply for a grant worth between £250 to £750.
You have to be in energy debt of at least £250 and not have more than £1,000 in savings.
If you're accepted for a grant through either scheme, the money doesn't need to be paid back.
Energy bills are expected to rise again this year, with households already paying sky-high prices for their gas and electricity.
The Ofgem energy price cap, which sets a limit on the rates a supplier can charge for each unit of gas and electricity you use, rose by 54% on April 1.
For those on default tariffs paying by direct debit, the price cap increased by £693 from £1,277 to £1,971.
Prepayment customers saw a bigger jump, with their price cap going up by £708, from £1,309 to £2,017.
The boss of Ofgem last month warned that the price cap could go up again by hundreds more pounds when it is reviewed in October.
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley told the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee that in October it will be "in the region of £2,800".
Experts at Cornwall Insights predict the price cap will rise to a higher £2,980 in October, before hitting £3,000 in January.
