Today, we’ve joined forces with 33 leading housing associations to call on the Government to reopen the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding as well as protect the hundreds of thousands of people struggling with their energy bills this winter.
Less than 1 in 5 eligible households received the £400 alternative energy bill support last winter and an estimated 750,000 households missed out on the £400 support for energy bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding.
That’s the equivalent of £300m worth of support that households including care homes and social housing customers were entitled to.
We’re asking for three changes to protect those most in need this winter:
- Provide more targeted support through the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Energy Bills Discount Scheme for winter 2023-2024 for those on low incomes and the 1.7m households living in fuel poverty and are not registered for benefits.
- Expand eligibility for the Warm Homes Discount to include households on heat networks and without a direct relationship with an electricity supplier this winter.
- Extend the application deadline for Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding from 31st May until 31st December 2023.
You can read the full letter by clicking the link below.