Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our journalists around the world
Sign up for our free Morning Headlines email
People who pay their energy bills at pre-paid meters are being urged to claim Help with Living Costs vouchers after figures revealed there has been low take-up so far. The Post Office said only 60 percent of eligible customers had requested the first payment for October. Those who have not yet redeemed their October voucher can do so when they collect their November payment, although the vouchers are only valid for 90 days. Ministers announced the Energy Bill Support Scheme earlier this year to help people meet the cost of high gas and electricity bills, fueled in part by Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Under the plans, households are entitled to £400 which will be paid in installments in October, November, December and January, February and March next year. The discount is automatically applied to a household’s monthly energy bill if it is on a fixed charge. All meter payers – around 4 million people, according to energy regulator Ofcom – are entitled to vouchers which can be redeemed in the Post Office. Payment company PayPoint also processes vouchers. The company told the BBC it has so far only processed half the credit it expected in October. Millions of households are on prepaid meters (PA) It’s not exactly clear why so many people haven’t claimed the credit, but campaigners think it may be down to the mild autumn weather so far. Adam Scorer, chief executive of the charity National Energy Action, said: “One of the less surprising results from the Energy Bill Support Scheme is that people using older pre-paid meters are more likely to lose their jobs. “They may not know the scheme exists, be reluctant to open letters from suppliers, miss the email or be unable to print the coupon. “Having the support in place is, of course, vital. Making sure people can and do access it is just as important. “The UK Government needs to learn this lesson for anything that comes after the Energy Price Guarantee.” A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “The Government has worked quickly to deliver the Energy Bill Support Scheme, helping a wide range of households struggling with their energy bills this winter, including direct payments of £1,200 to vulnerable households . “We’re encouraging customers to apply their credit to their meter as soon as possible so they can take advantage of the scheme, which comes on top of the Energy Price Guarantee which saves the typical household around £700 this winter.”
