Changing suppliers and warm home discount scheme

Marty82

I currently qualify for this discount under the broader scheme with Scottish Gas but am now shopping around for the best deal on my gas and electricity since I have almost paid off my arrears to them.

My investigations show that I will also qualify with EDF, Scottish Power and possibly Scottish Hydro but will not qualify with EON and Npower as each company has different criteria for the broader group.

The eligibility is based on being in receipt of the qualifying benefit on 21 July 2012 but is credited to your bill between January and March 2013 therefor if I switched now then I would not qualify for the payment with my new supplier.

Does anyone know whether I would somehow receive the credit from Scottish Gas if I left now or will I have to wait until it has been added to my account (anytime between January and March) before I switch suppliers?

We are continually encouraged to seek the cheapest gas and electricity supplier and this is even more important for those in receipt of benefits but does this system mean that we are limited to switching only between the months of March and July?

Any answers, advice and input are gratefully received and I hope that this thread will also be of help to others.

Joyful

Only if you have qualified as part of the Core group- receiving guaranteed Pension Credit will you be able to move suppliers and still get the payment. Which ever supplier you were with in July would still pay out.

Anyone else who is in the Broader group needs to be on supply with the original company when the payment is made. Most schemes are now coming to an end. Scottish Gas end on 31.12.2012 so if you move supplier you will most likely not qualify for any company as it takes a minimum of 4 weeks to change supply.

If I was in your shoes I would stay put till the payment is paid.

Marty82

Thanks for the reply Joyful.

What do you mean by the Scottish Gas scheme ends on 31.12.12? Do you mean for new applications? I do realise that I wouldn't qualify for other company schemes based on dates as my research seems to point to being on their supply on 21.07.12.


If I ring customer services will they be able to tell me when the payment will be credited to my account? I will then be in credit by £130 so will they send me a refund for that amount if I choose to move to another supplier?


Thanks again!

Joyful

No one will be able to say when your will recieve it apart from between 1.1.2013 and 31.3 2013. As all suppliers have to pay out by the end of March they have to stop adding customers on a cut off date. I believe some have already stopped. SG stop accepting people for this winter on 31.12. 2012.

The only people that are affected by your date are Core customers not Broader.

If you moved supplier after the payment is allocated to your account then you would be due a refund.

Marty82

I'll just have to keep an eye for a credit to my account then. From my reading of your reply the 21.07.12 date is for the core group and each supplier sets its own date for the broader group. Is that correct? I guess that most other suppliers will have set their date at a similar time of year and, as u stated, it takes around four weeks to switch so I will remain with Scottish Gas until the payment is made and then do another comparison with other companies. I wish the DECC would just make the energy companies have the same criteria, dates etc for the broader group as a lot of the people affected may be elderly, disabled, unwell etc and would appreciate a simple system! Thanks again for your help; you're a credit to your employer!

Richie-from-the-Boro

Marty82 wrote: »

I'll just have to keep an eye for a credit to my account then. From my reading of your reply the 21.07.12 date is for the core group and each supplier sets its own date for the broader group. Is that correct? I guess that most other suppliers will have set their date at a similar time of year and, as u stated, it takes around four weeks to switch so I will remain with Scottish Gas until the payment is made and then do another comparison with other companies. I wish the DECC would just make the energy companies have the same criteria, dates etc for the broader group as a lot of the people affected may be elderly, disabled, unwell etc and would appreciate a simple system! Thanks again for your help; you're a credit to your employer!

Electricity only - does not include gas.

The DWP define the CORE group using amongst other things the CWP as a 'passport' - that group, the by definition largest part of the statutory cake, this group are auto 'passported' and personally informed by the DWP in writing and simultaneously the participating energy suppliers are informed of that name and postcode's right to the CORE group scheme. Suppliers with less than 250,000 customers don't have to offer the discount to either the core or broader groups.

The non-statutory BROADER group also have huge benefits, but as its non-statutory each individual has to make their own case and are funded only after the CORE group needs are satisfied, and even then there is a spending cap applied to the BROADER group. DECC can't interfere in a non statutory scheme, each supplier can decide their own set of eligibility criteria, this in turn is approved by Ofgem. Inclusion on this list however, does not mean that a person is automatically entitled to any benefit. It is meant principally as guidance for energy suppliers as to the types of people likely to be deemed suitable for inclusion in the Broader Group.

Best of luck !

Marty82

Thanks for your reply Richie.

I do realise that the core group is statutory and the broader group is non-statutory but I suppose my argument was that the DECC should just make one statutory group with wider criteria so that all eligable people are auto enrolled in the scheme as some categories of eligable people may not know they qualify or know how to do so. Unfortunately not everyone is a regular visitor to MSE or visit their local CAB for advice on money and benefits. It is often those who are most in need of help are those least likely to go and get the help that they need and deserve. A sad fact in 21st century UK!

Richie-from-the-Boro

Marty82 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply Richie.

I do realise that the core group is statutory and the broader group is non-statutory but I suppose my argument was that the DECC should just make one statutory group with wider criteria so that all eligible people are auto enrolled in the scheme as some categories of eligible people may not know they qualify or know how to do so. Unfortunately not everyone is a regular visitor to MSE or visit their local CAB for advice on money and benefits. It is often those who are most in need of help are those least likely to go and get the help that they need and deserve. A sad fact in 21st century UK!

HiYa Marty82,

- in that case we have a defined by law and statute, definition of 'fuel poor'
- those who [in law] are deemed 'fuel poor' are means tested and in the core group
- anyone not automatically in the core group is not legally 'fuel poor' and not means tested
- so you see """all eligible people are auto enrolled in the scheme""" already happens, it is the core that's eligible
- and the broader group is ineligible, but can apply to any big company for additional help

At DWP level, they will know instantly if any household no longer qualifies for the 'passported' element, for example the guaranteed element of pension credit. That's how they control eligibility. There are no such Governmental controls on the broader group, the broader group may consider themselves to be poor, but the Government does not. I think they've got the balance about right.

Every one in these Islands pays to pick up the cost of both groups in their bills, along with the shareholders. The broader group is a welcome addition, a 'cherry on the top' if you like that benefits a lot of deserving people. Arguing for it to be broadened beyond where is it in law is not something I agree with, the suppliers already pulled back dramatically from servicing the broader group, seeking to wring more money from them by widening access to other non statutory groups is something that might just be the excuse they need to pull out of the broader group agreement altogether.