nPower Spreading warmth scheme

EastMidsGal

I have just got off the phone after I tried to apply for the spreading warmth scheme.

I am in receipt of Income Support, Child Tax Credits, Council Tax Benefits and Housing Benefits and Child Benefit. They say with all of that it takes me over the £13000 a year income limit. I admit that I am receiving a lot of money in the form of Housing Benefit and Council Tax but that is because of the area in which I live. My rent is still below my LHA.

They want me to pay £35 p/m for electricity and £50 for gas a month which is really a lot for me. Does that seem reasonable?

Can I appeal?

KimYeovil

There are lots of unfairnesses with the social tariffs - with some you could be in receipt of only £5000 per year but would not be allowed on because you have no children or are not a pensioner. With others if you live in private accommodation you can not qualify because your high rent means you will have such a large gross income you will never spend 10% of it on utilities. And with others you have to already be spending 10% (or 15%) on fuel - but if you are genuinely in poverty you can not afford to do this in the first place!!! (This last one is the craziest injustice.)

But at least you receive money for your child/ren so as a multi-person household you are unlikely to have such a low income that you can not pay for utilities - the highest burners are not pro rata the number of occupants.

You can 'appeal' the amount the debits are being set to (if you have the evidence) but not the social tariff refusal. I would say the amounts are reasonable - but the meters are in your home - if you know different, tell them.

kjsmith7

Check with other suppliers and see if their income threshold is higher, and whether your benefits qualify you for their social tariffs. You'll have to telephone the suppliers in question, as the Social tariffs aren't listed on switching web sites

PNPSUKNET

a better option is to cut down on usage

EastMidsGal

Thanks so much for all the feedback. After reading some of the other threads £85 a month isn't above average. I'm going to try some other suppliers cos it won't harm and have already taken steps to cut down my usage which wasn't excessive to begin with. Though in the freezing weather we did have to have the heating on 24/7 otherwise my daughter was shivering!

pawpurrs

Out of interest any one know what the unit prices are for the social tariffs are they much cheaper or not?

EastMidsGal

Hi

I can't remember the exact figures the nPower customer services rep told me but they were really good

Hopefully someone will be along in a while with much better info than me!

pawpurrs

Found this

http://www.energychoices.co.uk/social-tariffs.html

Plushchris

EastMidsGal wrote: »

the nPower customer services rep told me but they were really good

With all due respect, the rep would say that...

From what I have seen the social tariffs sometimes arent as good as the suppliers cheapest online, dual fuel direct debit tariffs.

Haarlem

Social Tariffs should be published and the details easily available to anyone.

They cost the Suppliers nothing, with the reductions made up from a tax on all who are on other tariffs.

I am not against Social Tariffs, but feel I should know how my taxes are being spent.

jennifer56

I applied for Eon's staywarm tariff (whatever it is called can't remember name) because we fit the profile, they wanted £40 a month more than we are paying now.

OK, OH could have heated his greenhouse over winter but not for another £480 a year.

Jennifer