Living in an HMO ... Am I entitled to any of the Help from the government

nutmeg78

Hi all

With the cost of living crisis hitting us all in some way or another (not just fuel bills but everything going up price wise in the shops, fuel etc..)

I keep hearing on the radio that EVERYONE is entitled to some kind of payment/help from the government during these challenging times. However, as I live in an HMO (Block of studio flats with a flat payment on electricity) am I entitled to anything? I am a full time working professional and would not be eligible for any benefits, so... Do I fall in between the cracks?

Spoonie_Turtle

The £400 for 'everyone' is actually for people who have a domestic electricity account with their supplier.  So no, you probably don't get the £66/67 everyone else is getting at the moment.

There is the intention of alternative funding for people (estimated 1%) who don't meet the criteria for the £400 via suppliers.  To the best of my knowledge we have no details about that yet.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support/energy-bills-support-factsheet-8-september-2022

"If you pay for your energy as part of your rent

Your landlord will benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee if they have a domestic electricity and/or gas contract with a licensed electricity and/or gas supplier and should reflect this in the price they charge you from 1 October. Similarly, they will receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme and should pass it on to you. We will act now to introduce legislation to ensure this happens.

Your landlord should pass on the discount irrespective of how you pay for your energy use. If they charge you based on your usage, they must do this at the same price as they pay, including the Energy Price Guarantee (see Ofgem’s guidance on ensuring customers are being charged no more than they should). If, on the other hand, you pay an “all inclusive” rent incorporating a fixed charge for energy use, your landlord should pass the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme benefits to you if provided for in your tenancy agreement.

If your landlord has a non-domestic contract, they may benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme depending on when they signed the contract. If so, they should pass the savings on to you."

Very grey area, lots of 'ifs' and 'shoulds'.  If your rent hasn't gone up more than it usually woule have because of increased energy prices then I would think you have less of a case for anything to be passed on via your landlord.  If it has, however, then … maybe.

(Also I apologise if I've misunderstood your post.  If it is not included in your rent, can you please tell us exactly how you pay for your electricity?)

nutmeg78

That's spot on... Yes electricity is included in my rent.. And it has gone up recently... So I guess I'll have to wait and see?