With rising energy prices, finding cheaper ways to keep the lights on has become a priority.
There are more details on getting energy at much cheaper rates. You can also find energy bill concessions and grants helpful in times of need.
Let’s discuss how you can get an energy bill concession and where you can get them.
Extra Help With Your Energy Bills
Utility companies and the government have made provisions for people who are struggling to make ends meet.
There are different grants, benefits, and help that you can receive from the government and your energy suppliers should you find yourself eligible.
Here are the different types of assistance you could qualify for.
The Energy Price Guarantee
This plan automatically limits how much you are able to charge per unit of electricity and gas. It was put in place at the end of June 2023.
This discount is available for any household that does not have a pre-payment meter. Ofgem set the price cap setting it at £2.074 for a typical household per year.
The energy price guarantee remains in place until the end of March 2024 if energy prices increase over £3000 per year.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme
You must meet some criteria to determine if your household qualifies for the warm home discount scheme. Depending on where you live, the criteria will be different.
If you are in the England and Wales area, you qualify for the warm home discount scheme if you are on a low income and have high energy costs, or you get the guarantee credit element of pension credit.
If you are based in Scotland, you will qualify for the warm home discount scheme. That is to say if your household meets the criteria set by the energy supplier, or should you qualify for a guarantee credit element of pension credit.
You can still qualify for the discount even if you are on the pay-as-you-go service or a pre-payment meter. You can find out from your energy supplier how you are eligible for the discount.
Energy Discount for Living in a Park, Mobile and Care Home
The energy bill support scheme will assist with help equivalent to £400 should you live in a home with no domestic meter or a contract with an energy supplier.
To be eligible for this help, these are the following types of homes that qualify:
- Care home
- Park home
- Living on a houseboat
- On a farm
- Off the electricity grid
You will also be considered eligible if you meet the following criteria:
- You live in a care home or sheltered accommodation.
- You pay for your care fees due to losing your pension or other benefits.
Other Ways You Can Get Help With Paying Your Energy Bill
Here is a list of alternative options you can turn to if you are struggling with the cost of your energy usage.
You can get temporary credit from your energy supplier
This can be done if you cannot top up your prepayment meter. However, this is something that you need to pay back.
A fuel voucher is another type of assistance from your energy supplier that gives you a code which gets you credit added to your electricity key and gas card.
Grants to help pay off your energy bill
Grants are available if you cannot afford to buy fuel. This means that you might be eligible for a grant if you meet the following criteria:
- You are not on the gas grid.
- You rely on oil or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), wood or even coal as your main heating source.
To get the grant, you must prove that you cannot afford fuel.
If your landlord receives an energy-saving discount, this should also be extended to you.
You can also get a discount on your energy bill if your home is on a heat network. Heat network suppliers get to receive a discount from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
Extra support from your energy supplier
Another option is to check if you are eligible for Priority Service Register. You can get extra assistance from your energy supplier by signing up for this.
To be considered eligible, you need to meet the following:
- Be disabled or have a long-term health condition.
- Be a state pensioner.
- Considered vulnerable by your energy network. Vulnerability means that you are not fluent in English, are currently pregnant or have children under five years, have no sense of smell, or would struggle to smell gas.
Being on the priority service register means that your energy supplier will prioritise your call, ensure their engineers have a password when they visit your home and move your prepayment meter if you struggle with it.
To sign up for the priority service register, you must fill out the form on your energy supplier’s website.
Conclusion
People can fully grasp the concept of ridiculously expensive energy, with energy providers and the government looking for ways to help people afford their energy bills and offer alternative energy solutions.
Using the above-mentioned advice to get energy bill concessions will be beneficial, especially during the cold winter months. Be sure to contact your energy provider for extra help, apply for available grants to relieve some financial strain and even consider switching to a cheaper energy provider to cut costs.
Constantly stay in touch with your energy provider to find alternative means to keep your lights on without it driving a hole in your pocket.