Is there any help for prepay gas customers?

EssexHebridean

Deleted_User said:

Danny_V said:

Mobtr said:

Danny_V said:

Mobtr said:

Danny_V said:

Hello

I live in a small studio flat and I have gas central heating, and gas boiler heats my water, and gas hobs on my cooker.
I noticed the £400 energy grant to help is in the form of electricity vouchers, and obviously I am going to struggle more to pay for my gas

I cannot get into debt because I am prepay, so I cannot apply for the British Gas Fund as far as I'm aware
I'm in receipt of ESA for health reasons and PIP.

Is there any help for me and other people like me? 

thanks for any replies and help

Daniel

You’ll be getting vouchers for your electricity. I don’t know for certain but you might be able to use them for your gas instead.  Otherwise put the money you would have put on your electricity onto your gas. 

It seems incredible that they wouldn't have considered people have gas fired central heating, and that is what they'll be using to keep warm. My electric usage is already very low so I'm not sure the money I usually spend on electric would be equal to having to keep the heating on, run my taps, cook my food etc. 

they will have done, however everyone has electricity but not everyone has gas which is why it’s being applied to electricity accounts. You should get your first voucher in the first 2 weeks of October, take it to the Post Office & see if they’ll put it on your gas card instead 

It would have made sense that they let gas users apply for a gas voucher, and electricity users to apply for electricity vouchers

I guess I will have to ask at the Post Office, but I was making the post in case anyone knew of any different help for prepay gas specifically?

Or you just put the vouchers on the electricity account, and put the cash that you otherwise would have used for electricity on the gas account instead.

That, and the unit rate cap, is the help that is available for prepay gas customers.

But if the OP's spend on electricity is only, say, £30 a month, then their electricity credit would then be building up crazily, but still only freeing up £30 a month to put to the gas - which may not even come close to helping with the increase in costs between this winter and last? The logic is there, I get that, but I can certainly see how it wouldn't really be that much help to everyone, and why the OP and others like them feel a bit "hung out to dry". 

[Deleted User]

EssexHebridean said:

Deleted_User said:

Danny_V said:

Mobtr said:

Danny_V said:

Mobtr said:

Danny_V said:

Hello

I live in a small studio flat and I have gas central heating, and gas boiler heats my water, and gas hobs on my cooker.
I noticed the £400 energy grant to help is in the form of electricity vouchers, and obviously I am going to struggle more to pay for my gas

I cannot get into debt because I am prepay, so I cannot apply for the British Gas Fund as far as I'm aware
I'm in receipt of ESA for health reasons and PIP.

Is there any help for me and other people like me? 

thanks for any replies and help

Daniel

You’ll be getting vouchers for your electricity. I don’t know for certain but you might be able to use them for your gas instead.  Otherwise put the money you would have put on your electricity onto your gas. 

It seems incredible that they wouldn't have considered people have gas fired central heating, and that is what they'll be using to keep warm. My electric usage is already very low so I'm not sure the money I usually spend on electric would be equal to having to keep the heating on, run my taps, cook my food etc. 

they will have done, however everyone has electricity but not everyone has gas which is why it’s being applied to electricity accounts. You should get your first voucher in the first 2 weeks of October, take it to the Post Office & see if they’ll put it on your gas card instead 

It would have made sense that they let gas users apply for a gas voucher, and electricity users to apply for electricity vouchers

I guess I will have to ask at the Post Office, but I was making the post in case anyone knew of any different help for prepay gas specifically?

Or you just put the vouchers on the electricity account, and put the cash that you otherwise would have used for electricity on the gas account instead.

That, and the unit rate cap, is the help that is available for prepay gas customers.

But if the OP's spend on electricity is only, say, £30 a month, then their electricity credit would then be building up crazily, but still only freeing up £30 a month to put to the gas - which may not even come close to helping with the increase in costs between this winter and last? The logic is there, I get that, but I can certainly see how it wouldn't really be that much help to everyone, and why the OP and others like them feel a bit "hung out to dry". 

Yes, not a complete solution, but much closer than the "I can only use this for electricity, now where do I get help with my gas" that was the sentiment in the original discussion.

Mobtr

If you’re on ESA did you not get the £650 of which you should have already received £325 & should get the remainder soon. Use it to top up your gas meter. 

Spoonie_Turtle

Mobtr said:

If you’re on ESA did you not get the £650 of which you should have already received £325 & should get the remainder soon. Use it to top up your gas meter. 

Depends which type of ESA.  Although if they is their only income they should quality for means-tested help unless they have a large amount of savings.

[Incidentally those Cost of Living payments are because the cost of everything has gone up, not just for energy.  It's only the £400 that specifically goes towards energy.]