Getting a discount on your energy bill

The Energy Bill Support Scheme gave every household a £400 discount on their energy bills for winter 2022 to 2023. This ended in March 2023. The discount was automatic. If you get a message asking for your bank details, this could be a scam. You can report messages you think are suspicious . Eligibility All households with a domestic electricity connection in England, Scotland and Wales were eligible for the discount. You’ll still get the discount if: you change your payment method or tariff you switch electricity supplier or move to a new address your supplier goes bust you’re in arrears on your electricity bill payments The way you get support is different if you live in a park, mobile or care home or off-grid . If you’re in Northern Ireland You should automatically have got a £600 payment towards your energy bill through the Northern Ireland Energy Bills Support Scheme . How you’ll get the discount You did not need to apply for the discount, and there was no need to contact your energy supplier. The discount was applied to your household electricity bill for 6 months starting in October 2022. You got: £66 in October and November £67 in December, January, February and March You’ll get the discount monthly, even if you pay for your energy quarterly or use a payment card. If you did not get a payment, contact your energy supplier. If you pay by Direct Debit You’ll get the discount automatically either as: a reduction to your monthly Direct Debit amount a refund to your bank account after the monthly Direct Debit collection If you pay by credit or debit card Your discount will be automatically applied as a credit to your account in the first week of each month. If you have a smart prepayment meter Your discount will be credited directly to your smart prepayment meter in the first week of each month. If you have a traditional prepayment meter You’ll automatically get the discount each month as either: redeemable vouchers, sent by text, email or post an automatic credit when you top up at your usual top-up point Your electricity supplier will let you know in advance how you will get your discount. You’ll need to redeem vouchers at a top-up point, for example at a Post Office or PayPoint shop. Payzone outlets do not accept the vouchers. You will never be asked for personal information, such as bank details, to get this payment. Vouchers expire after 90 days. If your voucher does expire, you can ask for it to be reissued. All vouchers must be redeemed by 30 June 2023. Your supplier will contact you if you do not redeem your voucher. Some suppliers may allow you to transfer EBSS payments from your electricity meter to your gas meter.

Businesses and other organisations can get help with their energy bills as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme ( EBDS ) . This is available to all eligible: businesses voluntary sector organisations, such as charities public sector organisations such as schools, hospitals and care homes You do not need to apply. The discount will automatically be added to your bill. EBDS has replaced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which provided support for businesses from 31 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. Eligibility You must be either: on an existing or new fixed-price contract agreed on or after 1 December 2021 on a variable tariff on a ‘flexible purchase’ or similar contract out of contract or on a ‘deemed’ contract on a variable ‘Day Ahead Index’ (DAI) tariff (Northern Ireland scheme only) What your business will get Eligible businesses and organisations will get a discount from April 2023 to March 2024. Your bill will be calculated using discounted energy prices (subject to a maximum discount), which are: £19.61 per megawatt hour ( MWh ) for electricity (with a price threshold of £302 per MWh ) £6.97 per MWh for gas (with a price threshold of £107 per MWh ) The more energy you use, the more you will pay. Energy and Trade Intensive Industries Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETIIs) will get a higher level of support, subject to a maximum discount. This discount will only apply to 70% of energy volumes. The maximum discounts and price thresholds for ETIIs are: £89 per MWh for electricity (with a price threshold of £185 per MWh ) £40 per MWh for gas (with a price threshold of £99 per MWh ) How you get the discount Your supplier will apply the reduction to your bill. The level of support you get depends on the type of energy contract you have and when you signed up. Eligible ETII customers will have to apply for the higher level of support. Further details on how this will work will be published in April 2023. Contact your supplier if you think they are not applying the discount correctly. If you’re not connected to the gas or electricity grid You may be able to apply for a one-off payment of £150 if: your business property is not connected to the gas or electricity grid you use alternative fuels for heating Alternative fuels include liquid petroleum gas (LPG), solid fuel, wood or kerosene (heating oil).

If you live in a park, mobile or care home, or off the electricity grid

The way you get energy support will be different if you do not have a domestic electricity meter and contract with an electricity supplier. For example, this could be because you live: in a park home in a care home on a houseboat in a mobile home on a farm off the electricity grid You will still get support equivalent to £400 for your energy bills from the Energy Bills Support Scheme. If you need to apply for your £400 discount You may need to apply if your home: has a communal electricity supply has a non-domestic electricity connection does not have a contract with an electricity supplier Apply for a discount if you’ve not already had a payment from the Energy Bills Support Scheme. If you live in a care home or supported accommodation You may be eligible for a payment if you both: live in a care home or sheltered and supported accommodation pay for some or part of your care fees (directly or through loss of pension or other benefits) If you pay for your energy through an intermediary You may not get the full amount of support if you pay through an intermediary - for example the manager of a park or mobile home. However, the manager or landlord must pass on the benefit in a fair and reasonable way. This is called the ‘pass-through requirement’ for energy price support. Find out what they should do and what to do if you disagree .

If you get your heating and hot water from a heat network

If you get your heating and hot water from a heat network, the organisation supplying that energy may get support from the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. Your heat network supplier must pass on some or all of this support to you in a ‘just and reasonable way’. This is called the ‘pass-through requirement’ for energy price support. They should do this as soon as they can. You should not need to do anything to get this support. Your supplier must tell you in writing within 30 days of them getting the support: how much benefit they received when and how they will pass this to you what you can do if you disagree You can read more about the pass-through requirement and what suppliers must do , including template letters you can use. Find out more about: the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024) the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (31 October 2022 to 31 March 2023) If your supplier does not pass on the discount or you disagree If you do not agree with the support your heat network supplier passes to you, write to your supplier. If you still disagree, you can make a complaint to: the Energy Ombudsman if you’re in England, Scotland or Wales the General Consumer Council if you’re in Northern Ireland

Help with your energy bills

Q: If you pay for your energy as part of your rent

Your landlord may charge an all-inclusive rent, which includes a fixed cost for your energy usage. They should agree a discount with you in line with your tenancy agreement. You may not get the full amount of support - for example, if the fixed cost already protects you from the energy price increase. Your landlord must however pass on some or all of the support they get from any of the following schemes: the Energy Bills Support Scheme the Energy Price Guarantee the Energy Bills Discount Scheme They should give you a fair and reasonable amount and must not make a profit. This is called the ‘pass-through requirement’ for energy price support. They should do this as soon as they can. You should not need to do anything to get this support. Your landlord must tell you in writing within 30 days of getting the support: how much you will get and why what you can do if you disagree If your landlord does not pass on the discount or you disagree If you do not agree with the support they have passed to you, write to your landlord. You can read more about pass-through and what landlords must do , including template letters you can use. If you’re still not happy, you can make a claim for money against them at a county court.

Q: If you use alternative fuels for heating

You may be eligible for a £200 Alternative Fuels Payment ( AFP ) 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 This is on top of the £400 from your electricity supplier. You’re eligible for this payment if the main way you heat your home uses: tank or bottled gas liquid petroleum gas ( LPG ) oil wood solid fuel Most homes that are eligible for this payment will get it automatically as a credit on their electricity bills from February 2023. If you think you should have got a payment but have not, contact your electricity supplier. 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 If you do not get this payment automatically You may have to apply for this payment through the AFP Alternative Fund if you do not get it automatically - for example, because you do not have a contract with an electricity supplier. Apply for a payment to help pay for alternative fuels if you’ve not already had one.

Overview

You can get help with your energy bills or to top up your prepayment meter.

You may also be eligible for benefits, grants and help offered by the government and energy suppliers.

How you get support may be different if you’re in Northern Ireland.

If you pay for your energy as part of your rent, your landlord or property manager must pass on some or all of the support they get.

If you get your energy from a heat network, your supplier must pass on some or all of the support they get.

Energy Bills Support Scheme

The Energy Bill Support Scheme gave every household a £400 discount on their energy bills for winter 2022 to 2023. This ended in March 2023.

You should have got the discount automatically - you did not have to apply.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter, you got the discount in the form of credit or a voucher to use at a top-up point. Smart meters got it automatically.

You must redeem your voucher by 30 June 2023.

Find out more about the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

The way you get support is different if you live off-grid or in a park, mobile or care home.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

All businesses will get help with their energy bills as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

If you use alternative fuels for heating (Alternative Fuel Payment)

The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) was a one-off £200 payment to households that use alternatives to mains gas for heating, such as heating oil, liquified petroleum gas (LPG) or coal. You got this as a credit on your electricity bill from February 2023.

Energy Price Guarantee

The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) automatically limits the amount you can be charged per unit of gas or electricity. The EPG will remain in place until the end of June 2023. This will continue to limit the average household bill to £2,500 a year.

There is no need to apply or contact your energy supplier.

You will still pay more if you use more energy.

You can find out more about the Energy Price Guarantee and the latest rates used.

Warm Home Discount

You could get £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2023 to 2024 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you either:

get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
are on a low income

Get help with energy-saving improvements

You may also be able to get help for energy-saving improvements to your home if you get certain benefits or live in social housing.

Other help

You may be able to get other kinds of support, including:

up to £900 in 3 separate Cost of Living Payments for households on means-tested benefits
a £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment, to be paid alongside the Winter Fuel Payment for 2023 to 2024
a £150 disability Cost of Living Payment for people who get certain disability benefits
help from the Household Support Fund from your local council
£25 Cold Weather Payments for people living in England, Wales or Northern Ireland who get certain benefits
a Winter Heating Payment for people living in Scotland who get certain benefits

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bill

You can also get:

advice on support available to help with energy bills from Citizens Advice
extra support from your energy supplier - for example if you’re disabled or have a long-term health condition
grants to help pay off debts to your energy supplier

If you cannot afford to top up your prepayment meter

You can get temporary credit from your supplier. You will have to pay this back.

You may also be able to get a fuel voucher. This is a code given to you in a letter, text message or email which you can use to add credit to your gas card or electricity key.

Contact your local council, food bank or Citizens Advice to find out more.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Help with your energy bills

Overview

Energy Bills Support Scheme

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

If you use alternative fuels for heating (Alternative Fuel Payment)

Energy Price Guarantee

Warm Home Discount

Get help with energy-saving improvements

Other help

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bill

If you cannot afford to top up your prepayment meter

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Help with your energy bills

Overview

Energy Bills Support Scheme

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

If you use alternative fuels for heating (Alternative Fuel Payment)

Energy Price Guarantee

Warm Home Discount

Get help with energy-saving improvements

Other help

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bill

If you cannot afford to top up your prepayment meter

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Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK