The UK Government is currently giving millions of people £400 off their energy bills over the next six months in a bid to tackle soaring costs. Energy prices are now 95% higher than they were last winter with the typical household paying a maximum of £2,500 a year and experts warning prices could rise even higher in April.
Back in May the UK Government announced it would give every UK household £400 off their energy bills. The energy bill support scheme (EBSS) means each month people get a chunk off their bill with a £66 reduction in October and November and a £67 reduction from December to March.
People who pay by bills or direct debit are either seeing the amount credited to their account, taken off their totals, or returned to their banks. Those with pre-payment meters which need to be topped up – around four million people – have been given vouchers.
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Recently PayPoint, which distributes the vouchers, told BBC News it expected to see 800,000 vouchers in October – worth £52.8m – but that only £27m had been redeemed even though the vouchers are only valid for 90 days. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has now shared crucial new information about the £400 scheme which should offer peace of mind to people using non-smart traditional pre-payment meters to pay for their supply.
Energy minister Graham Stuart has clarified that if the vouchers expire before they are used to top up a meter people can request a replacement from their supplier up until June 30, 2023. He explained how suppliers have an “obligation” and “must be able to evidence that they have attempted to make a minimum of three attempts by at least two different methods to contact customers who have not redeemed their payment”.
He also said that if a customer requests an expired voucher to be reissued suppliers should comply with the request. "Suppliers should take action to encourage all traditional pre-payment customers to redeem their EBSS payment during the scheme month," he said. "Replacement credit can be issued up until the scheme closing date of June 30, 2023.
"Suppliers have an obligation, and must be able to evidence, that they have attempted to make a minimum of three attempts by at least two different methods to contact customers who have not redeemed their payment – including at least one month before the expiry of the unredeemed EBSS payment. If a customer requests an expired voucher be reissued suppliers should comply with the request." To get all the latest money-saving news straight to your inbox twice a week sign up here.
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