How to apply for £200 alternative fuels payment and who is eligible?
There is support for people off the grid too.
As the cost of living crisis continues to cause concern for households across the country, government schemes are in place to help many pay their energy bills.
The government launched an energy price guarantee last autumn, which limited the annual energy bill for the average household to £2,500.
There will also be additional support for those who receive benefit payments, with millions of people set to see their benefits rise in line with the 10.1% inflation rate.
However, much of the support when it comes to fuel costs only cover people who use mains gas.
For those who use alternative fuel, you might be eligible for the alternative fuel payment (AFP) – but what exactly is it and who can receive it?
What is the alternative fuels payment?
The AFP is a one-off £200 grant from the government intended to support people who get their heating through a different means to mains gas.
Who is eligible for the alternative fuels payment?
According to the gov.uk website, you may be eligible for the £200 AFP grant if both the following are true:
- Your household is not connected to the mains gas grid
- You use alternative fuels as your main form of heating
In order to be eligible for this payment, the main way you heat your home must be through one of the following:
- Tank or bottled gas
- Liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
- Oil
- Wood
- Solid fuel
How to apply
Most homes that are eligible for the AFP sum should get it automatically as a credit on their electricity bills from February 2023.
However, you may not get the payment automatically if your home is either:
- In an area which is mainly connected to the gas grid
- Not connected to either the gas or the electricity grid
In this case, you may have to apply for the payment through the AFP Alternative Fund.
Applications for the AFP Alternative Fund should be open by the end of February, with more information expected to arrive on gov.uk.
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