Government Help - Energy Costs

The Government is keen to promote these schemes which are aimed at hard to reach households, many in rural areas, and which are often off grid. Eligible homes include, for example, residential park homes and houseboats. The schemes are:

• the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS Alternative Funding): eligible households are entitled to a one-off payment of £400 towards the cost of energy bills; and

• the Alternative Fuels Payment Alternative Fund (AFP Alternative Fund) eligible households which use alternative fuels (e.g. heating oil) as the main form of heating are entitled to a one-off payment of £200.

The above schemes are very similar to the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Alternative Fuels Payment, the KEY difference being that eligible households must apply for payments under the EBBS Alternative Funding and AFP Alternative Fund. In contrast, eligible households automatically received payments under the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Alternative Fuels Payment.

The deadline to apply for payments under the EBSS Alternative Funding scheme and AFP Alternative Fund is 31st May 2023.