Households are set to get a £400 discount on their energy bills later this year, in much-needed support to help cope with the rising cost of living - but one charity is concerned that some renters could miss out on the payment.
Leading tenant rights charity Shelter has warned tenants whose energy bills are included in their rent or service charge that they will not be able to claim the energy discount directly, and will instead “be at the mercy of their landlord” when it comes to receiving it.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, explained: “There’s no specific legal obligation for landlords to pass on this support, but they aren’t allowed to overcharge tenants for the energy they’ve used or make a profit on it. This could be the case if they pocket the Government support and continue to charge the same rate for utilities.”
READ MORE: New rules mean 300,000 households will miss out on energy discount this winter
The charity has urged tenants to keep a note of how much energy they use, to ensure that they are not paying more than they should. “It is unfair that those at the very sharp end of this crisis could miss out on this much-needed support,” Ms Neate added.
The Government said that it was working to ensure that “as many households as possible” receive the £400 support payment towards their energy bills. They also issued a reminder that under Ofgem rules, landlords are not allowed to make a profit on energy they are reselling and must pass on the £400 discount to their tenants.
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