Warm home discount

seatbeltnoob

Hi

My mum is with british gas dual fuel tariff, she pays her bill quaterly on receipt of postal bill.

I just did a energy tariff comparison and found that she can save up to £400 a year if she switches providers and elects to pay by direct debit monthly with e-billing (with a different provider that is on the warm home discount scheme)

She tends to take all her money out of her account and leaves nil balance and this would be a problem if her energy provider was taking direct debits from her account. She could potentially face big DD failed payment fines (both from bank and energy supplier) if they failed to take payment.

I was curious as to whether I could have my name and DD in my bank account for her address. So I manage the DD payments and take cash from her.

If we do this is she still eligible for warm home discount, or does the bill NEED to be in the name of the pensioner/applicant?

footyguy

seatbeltnoob wrote: »

Hi

My mum is with british gas dual fuel tariff, she pays her bill quaterly on receipt of postal bill.

I just did a energy tariff comparison and found that she can save up to £400 a year if she switches providers and elects to pay by direct debit monthly with e-billing (with a different provider that is on the warm home discount scheme)

She tends to take all her money out of her account and leaves nil balance and this would be a problem if her energy provider was taking direct debits from her account. She could potentially face big DD failed payment fines (both from bank and energy supplier) if they failed to take payment.

I was curious as to whether I could have my name and DD in my bank account for her address. So I manage the DD payments and take cash from her.

If we do this is she still eligible for warm home discount, or does the bill NEED to be in the name of the pensioner/applicant?

You could take on responsibility/liability for her bills if that is really what you want to do.

Check eligibility for WHD here
https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/guarantee-pension-credit
(read both section 2 and section 3)

Alternatively, under the DD scheme, you must be given advance notice of any collection, so really no reason why your mum cannot ensure there are sufficient cleared funds available to meet the collection.

I used to resist paying by monthly DD (I prefer to pay for what I have used, after I have used it), but savings as you found of £400 per year made me rethink some time ago

SpotlandRules

Why not just ask the energy company to change bank details. The worst they can say is no, but would be very surprised if they do.

I pay the Internet for my ex partner. The account is in her name, my bank details are on the system.

Smodlet

Absolutely. Why not just set up a DD in your name, from your bank account, and get your mother to pay you back? So long as the gas/leccy account is in her name for her address, she is the one entitled to WHD, after all, don't see why the energy company should care who pays them so long as they get their money on time. You could try telling them your mother does not trust banks (hardly a great leap, who does?) HTH.

macman

As above, keep the account in her name, but with a DD from your account. Not paying by DD screens out many of the cheapest tariffs.