Energy bill support ‘WILL continue after April’ as some companies to ‘amend costs to support customers’
SUPPORT for household energy bills will continue after April, according to reports.
Currently, typical household energy bills are set to rise to £3,000 a year from April but Rishi Sunak’s administration is under pressure to maintain its current level of support so they remain at £2,500.
However, industry sources told the BBC that energy companies have already amended future bills to reflect that energy help will continue at or very near to current levels beyond April 1.
The Government has said all support for bills is being reviewed.
With the ongoing cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills the Government has limited the typical household bill to £2,500 a year, plus a £400 winter discount, which is due to end from April.
That help is scheduled to be scaled back from April 1, which will increase bills.
The number of households struggling to afford their bills could rise from 6.7million to 8.4m as a result of the April rise, according to fuel poverty campaigners.
The Citizens Advice Bureau has said the increase in April would “spell catastrophe for millions of households”.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said extending the support for households and businesses is affordable and would cost the Treasury around £2.7billion.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has so far declined to extend the support, however experts think it is increasingly likely he will change course, possibly when he delivers the Spring Budget on March 15.
The £400 energy rebate was introduced by the government in July last year giving all households with a domestic electricity meter or direct relationship with their provider the discount.
In most cases, the discount is applied automatically by energy firms so customers don’t have to do anything.
Those on prepayment meters are having to redeem vouchers sent to them via email, text and post.
The £400 payment is split into six instalments which started being made in October.
Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com has unveiled a new calculator that can give you an estimation of what your bills might go up to from next month.
There is other help available.
The government has announced a second batch of cost of living payments that will be paid to millions of households.
This includes a £900 payment for millions on certain means-tested benefits.
Plus, a one-off £300 payment will be made to pensioners in Winter 2023/24.
It’s not yet known who will qualify for these payments but you qualified for the last payment if:
- You were born on or before September 25, 1956
- You lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 in what is known as the “qualifying week”
Those with disabilities will get a £150 payment this summer too.
The exact eligibility criteria for getting the payment has not been revealed yet though.
On top of this, plenty of energy companies offer customers grants if they are struggling to make payments.
This includes British Gas, Scottish Power, Ovo, E.ON, EDF and Bulb Energy.
It’s worth contacting your provider to see what help you might be able to get.
If you are on a prepayment meter and struggling to top up, you can also get fuel vouchers from your local council.
In most cases, you can then redeem them at PayPoints or a Post Office signed up to Payzone.