Households only have a few weeks left to claim up to £400 to help with the cost of energy bills.
The support comes from the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) and the Energy bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) schemes.
This cash funding is available to those in England, Wales and Scotland who live "off-grid" such as in a houseboat or park home, and those who use alternative energy as their main source of heating.
Alternative fuels can be things such as heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal, or biomass.
The EBSS AF scheme gives a one-off payment of £400 to people who don't have a direct link to a domestic electricity supply and didn't get the £400 Energy bill discount automatically from October.
The AFP scheme supplies people with a £200 one-off payment and is on top of the £400 energy bill discount scheme.
The applications for both of these schemes will be closed on Wednesday, May 31.
This means those who have not yet got the money only have 19 days left to claim.
The Government said about 900,000 homes are powered off-grid in the UK and around two million people are believed to be using alternative fuels to gas.
The majority of people will have received cash support automatically and only those who didn't get an automatic payment need to apply.
How to apply for the energy support schemes
Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding
According to the Government's website, you may be eligible to apply if your main home is:
- a residential park home
- on a boat on a permanent residential mooring
- on a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site
- part of a heat network without an electricity meter
- in social or private rented accommodation that has a business energy connection or a communal electricity supply
- off the mains electricity or gas grid
- in a care home or assisted living facility and you pay for some or all of your care (directly or through loss of pension or other benefits)
- in a separate domestic home within a non-domestic property (such as a farmhouse or a flat above a shop)
The Government also has a full list on its website of those who cannot apply for the cash.
To get the £400 energy support cash, you will need to make an application through GOV.UK here, or you can apply over the phone by calling the alternative funding helpline on 0808 175 3287.
These phone lines are open from 8am to 6pm from Monday to Friday.
Before you start your application you will need:
- an email address and phone number (if you have one)
- your bank account details (a UK current account in your name)
The Government also said you will need to have proof of address if you are not registered for council tax, such as a bank statement or tenancy agreement.
You will also need to add extra to your application if you live in a care home.
Once the application has been submitted, your local council will contact you within six weeks to give you an update on its progress.
Alternative Fuel Payment
If you are eligible for the Alternative Payment, you will need to fill out the online application form through Gov.uk - the application page is here.
You will then need to provide evidence of payments of alternative fuel worth £200 from June 2022 - this can be a delivery note or receipt.
You will also need to supply your email address, phone number and bank details.
If you do not have online access, you can also apply through the scheme's contact centre by calling 08081753287.
Once you have applied, your application will be processed and verified and if successful, your details will be shared with your local authority who will then make the one-off payment.
