The latest UK Government figures suggest that almost a third of Scottish households with a prepayment meter have not yet redeemed their energy rebate vouchers. More than 867,000 vouchers were issued in Scotland under the government’s £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) between October and December last year.
However, more than 273,000 have not been redeemed, meaning as much as £54 million in vital support has been left unclaimed. Edinburgh and Glasgow had some of the lowest redemption rates across Great Britain, at 59 per cent and 62 per cent, respectively.
The statistics released by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) suggest that around 1.9 million vouchers issued across Scotland, England and Wales remain unclaimed. This is despite increased uptake of the vouchers, which hit its highest level in January.
Almost one in five households in Scotland use prepayment meters for their gas or electricity.
Most households are having the £400 EBSS automatically applied to their electricity bills either as a credit or a discount in six instalments between October 2022 and March 2023.
However, those on a traditional prepayment meter need the vouchers to get the discount and once received either by post or email, they are only valid for 90 days.
December’s vouchers must be claimed by March 8.
If a voucher does expire, customers can ask their provider to re-issue it. Suppliers should contact consumers if vouchers are not redeemed.
Advice Direct Scotland, the country’s national energy advice service is keen to make sure that households do not miss out by:
- Checking unopened mail - in case the vouchers have been missed
- Checking with energy suppliers - using contact details found on bills, statements, and official websites
- Contacting energyadvice.scot if there are any difficulties getting through to suppliers or resolving issues
Commenting on the figures, Conor Forbes, policy director 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 to see a similar situation when December’s vouchers expire next month.”
If you haven’t received your vouchers, you should get in touch with your energy supplier straight away or contact Advice Direct Scotland’s expert advisers on 0808 196 8660 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm), or through www.energyadvice.scot.
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