Did not get Warm Home Discount from EBICO

Blue_Max

Qualifying customers are supposed to get a letter.
But no such letter was received from EBICO.
Their website say, "All eligible customers will receive the rebate of £140 as a credit on their electricity account by 31st March 2016".
But the customer who has been with them since September 2014 for both Gas and Elec, did not receive it.

Can anything be done about it?
Thanks!

JJ_Egan

Did you qualify ?
This year i did not qualify .

Smodlet

Some people qualify automatically while others have to apply to get it. It depends what state benefits apply in particular circumstances. Have you contacted them? Any possibility you could appeal if you should have applied and are late doing so?

Blue_Max

The person concerned has been on Pension Credit for many years and does qualify. But she did not know that such a scheme existed. So did not apply.
Its a shame that people in need do not receive the help they are entitled to.

If Ebico or Southern Electric had sent a letter informing their customers about the scheme, this situation would not have happened.

Is it possible to appeal? If so to whom?
Thanks!

JJ_Egan

Phone the Warm Home team .

Pension Credit is not a guarantee of entitlement to WH rebate .

<
Its a shame that people in need do not receive the help they are entitled to >

Yes but not if they are not entitled to it .

Blue_Max

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Phone the Warm Home team.
Pension Credit is not a guarantee of entitlement to WH rebate .
< Its a shame that people in need do not receive the help they are entitled to >
Yes but not if they are not entitled to it .

Warm Home Discount Scheme
0345 603 9439 and 0800 917 1003
(recorded message only)
Southern Electric asked some questions on the phone and said that this person IS AN ELIGIBLE CUSTOMER.

PS. Helpful and knowledgeable replies only please!

Smodlet

Pension credit is the one benefit I know of which does automatically entitle one the WH discount. Have you contacted Ebico to advise them the person receives this and was in receipt of it before their cut-off date?

Blue_Max

Smodlet wrote: »

Pension credit is the one benefit I know of which does automatically entitle one the WH discount. Have you contacted Ebico to advise them the person receives this and was in receipt of it before their cut-off date?

She did not know that this scheme existed. So could not contact Ebico or SSE before the cut off date.
One would have thought that Ebico or SSE has an obligation to inform their customers about any such schemes.
Even if there is no legal obligation, it would have been good cutomer service.

System

Blue_Max wrote: »

She did not know that this scheme existed. So could not contact Ebico or SSE before the cut off date.
One would have thought that Ebico or SSE has an obligation to inform their customers about any such schemes.
Even if there is no legal obligation, it would have been good cutomer service.

Forgive me for asking this, but how does a supplier know whether a customer is a millionaire or on benefits? Surely, it is the Government's responsibility to do what it can to make sure that low income families are aware of the benefits that are available?

JJ_Egan

Smodlet wrote: »

Pension credit is the one benefit I know of which does automatically entitle one the WH discount. Have you contacted Ebico to advise them the person receives this and was in receipt of it before their cut-off date?

That is wrong as Pension Credit is in two parts .Getting the savings PC does not give you WH rebate.
Thats from speaking to the Warm Home Team personally .

Smodlet

And getting the other element of PC does so entitle one to WH discount. The savings element is only a small part of PC and is being, I would suggest from the reductions already made to it, phased out.