This scheme closes on Wednesday 31 May 2023. All eligible households must apply for the EBSS alternative funding schemes before the closing date - see more below
The energy bills support scheme has two elements, that will subsidise household energy costs for people who do not have mains electric or gas or did not receive the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) payment because they do not pay their provider directly themselves.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS Alternative Funding) is a £400 payment for households either without a domestic electricity meter or people without a direct relationship with an energy supplier (e.g. care home residents and park homes).
A further £200 Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) is also available to help reduce energy costs for households who use alternative fuels such as biomass or heating oil.
Applicants will only be able to submit information through the government website and should not contact their local authority directly. Households will never be asked to apply for EBSS Alternative Funding by email or text. The scheme is open until 31 May 2023, so anyone eligible is encouraged to get applications in immediately ahead of the deadline.
You can apply for the EBSS Alternative Funding through the online application portal, please search for “Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically” on the Government’s website.
To find out more information about the support available for households by visiting the Help for Households website.
Energy Bill Support Scheme – Alternative Funding (EBSS Alternative Funding)
The alternative funding is available for households who were not eligible for the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) which provided a £400 reduction on electricity and gas bills. It will support residents who live in households without a domestic electricity meter or do not have a direct relationship with an energy supplier.
It is expected that the guidance will confirm the following people as potentially eligible:
- care home residents
- residents of park homes
- tenants in certain private and social rented homes
- homes supplied via private wires
- residents of caravans and houseboats on registered sites
- farmers living in domestic farmhouses
- off-grid households
This scheme will be processed differently to the energy rebate (£150 payment) which was processed entirely by local authorities and the EBSS which was administered directly by the energy providers. For the EBSS Alternative Funding the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will be processing claims and determining eligibility.
To make the process as simple as possible, those people who are eligible for the EBSS Alternative Funding will need to submit a short online form via the government’s website. The deadline for applying is Wednesday 31 May 2023.
Assisted digital phone support is available for applicants who are not able to make an online application. The freephone telephone number for the centre is 0808 175 3287. The contact centre is open Monday to Friday, 08.00 to 18.00.
After completed applications have been submitted, processed, and verified, payment details for the eligible household will be shared with local authorities, who will deliver the one-off, non-repayable support this winter.
The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant local authority.
Anyone who is eligible for support under the main Energy Bills Support Scheme is not eligible for EBSS Alternative Funding.
Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP)
The government is also providing a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) to help cover energy costs for those households who use fuels such as biomass or heating oil.
Most households eligible for the AFP, will receive payment automatically via their electricity supplier in February 2023, with no need to take any action.
Those households who will need to apply for the AFP, because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, can now do so through the government’s website. The deadline for applying is Wednesday 31 May 2023.
Chesterfield Borough Council will be administering this grant scheme on behalf of Derbyshire Dales District Council
