Britons struggling with energy bills this winter can seek help from a number of different providers who are offering hundreds of pounds worth of support.
While Ofgem lowered the energy price cap at the start of October, bills still remain staggeringly high at £1,834 a year for a typical household on a standard variable tariff.
From free smart thermostats and winter fuel allowance matching to debt write-offs, there are a number of different energy support packages available to apply for now.
Sebrina McCullough, head of external relations at Money Wellness, said: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help because the support is there.”
British Gas
British Gas is offering £100million worth of help to customers facing financial hardship. The application process opened on October 2 and eligible Britons may be able to get:
- Grants of up to £1,500 for customers struggling with bills
- £250 of non-repayable credit for those on prepayment meters
- Debt write-off for customers who have no reasonable means to repay
This support package is exclusively available to customers, however, the firm extends further financial assistance to all households, regardless of their supplier, via the British Gas Energy Trust.
The charity offers help such as debt relief grants, small emergency energy grants and access to a network of 45 funded money and energy advice centres.
EDF
As part of a £40million support package, EDF has committed to rolling back the price of standing charges to their April 2021 levels for its most vulnerable customers.
At least 260,000 customers claiming Warm Homes Discount will be eligible for the rollback, which will be applied to accounts as a £30 credit in December. This means that standing charges will essentially average 56p per day instead of 87p, spanning from January to March.
EDF will also be offering customers a “fresh start” this winter by clearing their debt, alongside payment matching top-ups for households on pre-payment meters. Customers eligible for these schemes will be contacted directly.
E.ON Next
Through its Winter Affordability Support Scheme, E.ON Next is offering a raft of measures to help vulnerable customers from now until the end of winter in March 2024, including:
- 25 percent off standard variable prices for customers with no existing debt
- 50 percent off standard variable prices for customers with existing energy debt who sign up for the support scheme. Customer’s debt will be written off at the end of the term if they keep on top of payments.
- The E.ON Next Pledge tariff, which tracks the price cap, will remain £50 below the cap
- Grants and white goods replacements through its E.ON Next Energy Fund
- Free insulation through the Great British Insulation Scheme.
This Winter Affordability Support Scheme is exclusively available to existing E.ON Next customers on low incomes (i.e. household income of less than £19,000 a year) and customers who have certain medical dependency needs and a household income of less than £31,000 a year.
As part of this package, E.ON Next will also write off debt an existing customer has on joining the scheme at the end of the term. E.ON Next energy specialists will start contacting eligible customers via post, text, email and phone from this week.
OVO
OVO is offering a support package worth nearly £40million, encompassing various forms of financial and practical help. Last year, the scheme offered eligible customers things like free smart thermostats for room temperature control, electric throws, and boiler servicing.
Applications will open from October 16 and to apply, people need to be an OVO Energy, Boost or SSE energy Services customer.
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy’s multi-million-pound Octo Assist Fund offers a number of support options based on circumstances and needs – including access to existing schemes, monetary credits from the fund, or personalised account support.
According to the provider, this can include anything from the return of credit to payment holidays. To apply, customers just need to fill out the financial support form online, here.
It’s a simple tool that asks a series of questions about the customer’s financial situation. From here, it’ll be decided what the most appropriate means to help is and just how they’ll be able to support.
