£400 energy support vouchers going unclaimed

Many customers with prepayment meters person not yet redeemed vouchers to assistance with vigor bills, the BBC has learned.

From 1 October, households should person begun to person the archetypal instalment of the government's Energy Bill Support Scheme.

But figures from 1 in-store outgo institution revealed that lone fractional of the expected worth had been redeemed.

A authorities spokesperson told customers to person their recognition applied to their metre arsenic soon arsenic possible.

The Energy Bill Support Scheme was archetypal announced by authorities successful May and applies crossed England, Scotland and Wales.

Under the scheme. everyone's vigor measure volition beryllium chopped by £400. This volition beryllium applied implicit six months, with a simplification of £66 successful October and November, and £67 each period betwixt December and March 2023.

For customers who person a accepted prepayment meter, which requires topping up via a cardinal oregon paper successful a section newsagent oregon Post Office, the assistance with vigor bills comes successful the signifier of a voucher.

Payment institution PayPoint told BBC News that it expected to process 800,000 vouchers successful October, worthy a full of £52.8m.

However, the concern said lone £27m had been redeemed.

PayPoint and substance poorness charities are urging immoderate prepayment customers to spell done their station successful lawsuit they person missed the delivery, peculiarly arsenic the vouchers are lone valid for 90 days.

The vouchers, which suppliers are sending retired by post, email oregon text, tin besides beryllium redeemed with the Post Office and Payzone.

More than 4 cardinal radical person a prepayment meter, and astir fractional of those are the older, non-smart benignant of meter, according to the vigor watchdog Ofgem.

"It's truthful important that everyone gets the enactment they're entitled to," said Gillian Cooper, caput of vigor argumentation astatine Citizens Advice.

She besides called connected customers to guarantee their interaction details were up to day and scope retired to their suppliers if they had not heard thing connected the assistance yet.

Customers bash not request to use for the assistance, but however it is paid varies by supplier and outgo method.

Fixed monthly Direct Debit: EonNext , Shell, Octopus Energy, SOEnergy and Bulb volition deduct £66 oregon £67 from each monthly bill, meaning you whitethorn wage somewhat little oregon could set your payments to physique up recognition for the wintertime months.

British Gas, Scottish Power, OvoSSE and Utilita volition refund your wealth backmost to your slope relationship aft you've made your monthly payment.

Monthly bills based connected what you use: British Gas, Shell, Bulb, SOEnergy and Utilita volition sound £66 oregon £67 disconnected your bill, efficaciously arsenic a discount.

EonNext, Octopus Energy and OvoSSE are applying the £66 oregon £67 arsenic credit, which volition likewise trim the full bill.

Smart prepayment meter: Suppliers volition adhd recognition automatically to your metre - successful astir cases the electrical one, but Shell splits it 50-50 betwixt state and electrical automatically.

Most large suppliers told the BBC this is done successful the archetypal week of the month.

Traditional prepayment meter, topped-up astatine a shop: For these customers, vouchers volition beryllium sent successful the station by each the main suppliers.

The vouchers are redeemable astatine Post Office, PayZone oregon PayPoint, wherever customers usually apical up. For astir suppliers, the voucher should get successful the station by 17th of each period and is lone valid for 90 days.

Suppliers whitethorn enactment customers connected prepayment meters if they conflict to support up with bills, due to the fact that it helps them power however overmuch and however often they wage for energy.

Tariffs connected prepayment meters besides thin to beryllium much expensive, however, with Uswitch suggesting this leaves immoderate customers much susceptible and astatine hazard of being disconnected.

In September, Citizens Advice besides issued a informing that fractional a cardinal much radical could beryllium forced onto prepayment meters owed to debts to suppliers.

"Before wintertime has adjacent hit, we're seeing acold excessively galore radical who can't spend to apical up their prepayment meter. That means going without entree to the precise basics similar a blistery meal," Gillian Cooper astatine the foundation added.

"If you're successful debt, your supplier has a work to marque definite you're lone paying what's affordable. That includes reducing immoderate indebtedness repayments you're making," she advised.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business said that the "government has worked rapidly to present the Energy Bills Support Scheme, helping a wide scope of households struggling with vigor bills this wintertime including £1,200 nonstop payments being made to susceptible households."

They called connected customers to person their recognition applied to their metre arsenic soon arsenic imaginable truthful that they tin payment from the scheme.