MSE News: £200 Alternative Fuel Payment to be paid 'in the New Year'

MSE_Andrew

The Alternative Fuel Payment, which will give £200 to households that don't use mains gas, will be made "as soon as possible in the New Year", according to the Government. We've full info on what the scheme is and how it'll work below. 

Read the full story here:

'£200 Alternative Fuel Payment for households with heating oil or LPG boilers to be paid 'in the New Year'

Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

mmmmikey

....so pretty much as expected from various press comments that have dripped out. But still no clarity on eligibility requirements. e.g. what if you use bottled gas from multiple sources, what if you are in an area where mains gas is available but you're not connected, what about park homes, etc. But useful to have it confirmed that payment expected in the New Year so thanks to MSE for posting this.

Apodemus

mmmmikey said:

....so pretty much as expected from various press comments that have dripped out. But still no clarity on eligibility requirements. e.g. what if you use bottled gas from multiple sources, what if you are in an area where mains gas is available but you're not connected, what about park homes, etc. But useful to have it confirmed that payment expected in the New Year so thanks to MSE for posting this.

mmmmikey,  you are more charitable than me!  I read this as old news, clickbate with no actual information, despite billing itself as "We've full info on what the scheme is and how it'll work".

Suffolk_lass

My electricity supplier (Scottish Power) offers no info on AFP, and no means to ask. They are not answering phones and both messenger, from Facebook, and their chat bot have a limited choice of topics with no other choices that includes no AFP related subject matter.

Like many with oil boilers, we bought our winter oil earlier in the year when prices are normally lower, and I see no way of them knowing we are oil users without data being shared (where no permission to do so between different providers has been given).

In our village alone we have several alternative heating solutions. There is no mains gas but our postcode is in 3 local authority areas, two counties, and one of these does. 

We don't need another furlough fraud opportunity. 

Without another form of registration and substantial checks I am not alone in being unable to see how this can work.

trickydicky14

Suffolk_lass said:

My electricity supplier (Scottish Power) offers no info on AFP, and no means to ask. They are not answering phones and both messenger, from Facebook, and their chat bot have a limited choice of topics with no other choices that includes no AFP related subject matter.

Like many with oil boilers, we bought our winter oil earlier in the year when prices are normally lower, and I see no way of them knowing we are oil users without data being shared (where no permission to do so between different providers has been given).

In our village alone we have several alternative heating solutions. There is no mains gas but our postcode is in 3 local authority areas, two counties, and one of these does. 

We don't need another furlough fraud opportunity. 

Without another form of registration and substantial checks I am not alone in being unable to see how this can work.

Yes I’m scratching my head as to how the government will know I have to heat with oil.

mmmmikey

I have read elsewhere (but I can't find it now to link to) that if you are in Northern Ireland or an area without mains gas available you will automatically get the £200 credited to your electricity account assuming you pay for your electricity directly. Otherwise you will have to apply via an online portal that is being set up. The government don't need to know that you heat with oil to pay you - if you live in an area without mains gas they can assume you are using another fuel such as oil, lpg, etc.

cmayflower

We're with EDF for our electricity bills, but have oil central heating, really cannot see how they will know we have oil for heating and hot water?  guess we'll be waiting for more details.

mmmmikey

cmayflower said:

We're with EDF for our electricity bills, but have oil central heating, really cannot see how they will know we have oil for heating and hot water?  guess we'll be waiting for more details.

They won't know that you use oil, lpg or whatever for heating and hot water. But if you live in an area without mains gas they will know you don't have gas and assume you're using something else. As I understand it in that case as long as you have an electricity account you'll automatically get the payment.

If you live in an area with mains gas but aren't connected then you'll have to apply via a website that is being set up, presumably with some sort of evidence, and similarly you'll have to apply if you don't have an electricity account (e.g. in the case of park home owners). Not suggesting this is a particularly good or bad way of doing it, it's just what I have read is going to happen.

Still trying to find the site where I read this, should have bookmarked it, so sorry I can't point you to something more definitive

cmayflower

mmmmikey said:

cmayflower said:

We're with EDF for our electricity bills, but have oil central heating, really cannot see how they will know we have oil for heating and hot water?  guess we'll be waiting for more details.

They won't know that you use oil, lpg or whatever for heating and hot water. But if you live in an area without mains gas they will know you don't have gas and assume you're using something else. As I understand it in that case as long as you have an electricity account you'll automatically get the payment.

If you live in an area with mains gas but aren't connected then you'll have to apply via a website that is being set up, presumably with some sort of evidence, and similarly you'll have to apply if you don't have an electricity account (e.g. in the case of park home owners). Not suggesting this is a particularly good or bad way of doing it, it's just what I have read is going to happen.

Still trying to find the site where I read this, should have bookmarked it, so sorry I can't point you to something more definitive

Thank you our road was built without gas connection, but residents have gradually been having it brought in to the road/houses.  I'll do a further search re where you found the info re possibly having to claim.  We won't be having gas installed at our property due to my husband having no sense of smell and being blown off his feet by a gas explosion. We're ok claiming via a website if that is what needs to happen, Thank you for your reply.

Jinglish

My village doesn’t have gas. Most are on heating oil, some are on LPG and others are on all electric (ASHP or storage heaters). How will they split the all electric users from the others?

mmmmikey

Jinglish said:

My village doesn’t have gas. Most are on heating oil, some are on LPG and others are on all electric (ASHP or storage heaters). How will they split the all electric users from the others?

That's one of the many unknowns. It's possible that all electric customers will get the £200 in those circumstances but we simply don't know anything with certainty yet.