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

Apodemus

Suffolk_lass said:

Smart77 said:

Will we actually be able to withdraw the allowance from our electricity account to pay our oil bill? Energy companies are notorious for hanging onto any credit that might have built up on your account. 

Your electricity supplier should be paying you the £400 at £66/£67 per month if you pay by direct debit. I have had three so far.
If the connection between entitlement to the non gas £200 can be established, it will be paid in a similar way (although it may be a single lump sum).

To those saying oil/LPG is cheaper, it wasn't when we bought our winter supply. It was four times greater than the previous purchase. 

So much misinformation in one short post!

1) Not all electricity suppliers are operating in the way yours is.

2) You have no way of knowing how individual electricity suppliers will handle this or if there will be a centrally dictated mechanism for them paying it out.

3) People are saying oil is cheaper per kWh than gas or electricity, not that it is cheaper now than when it was bought.

MattMattMattUK

Suffolk_lass said:

Smart77 said:

Will we actually be able to withdraw the allowance from our electricity account to pay our oil bill? Energy companies are notorious for hanging onto any credit that might have built up on your account. 

Your electricity supplier should be paying you the £400 at £66/£67 per month if you pay by direct debit. I have had three so far.
If the connection between entitlement to the non gas £200 can be established, it will be paid in a similar way (although it may be a single lump sum).

To those saying oil/LPG is cheaper, it wasn't when we bought our winter supply. It was four times greater than the previous purchase. 

Even at it's peak it only reached parity with mains gas on a kWh basis.

mmmmikey

More info here....

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vital-help-with-energy-bills-on-the-way-for-millions-more-homes-across-great-britain-and-northern-ireland

The £200 alternative fuel payment will be made in February - anyone who doesn't get it automatically will be able to apply via an online portal.

Oblong1

I believe the reason we get the extra £200 is because the government haven’t put a price cap on lpg, oil and coal, and so the suppliers can actually charge us what they want. Let’s face it, if you are buying sacks of coal you will pay whatever the shop wants to charge……..so keep your receipts as you will have to prove that you use an alternative fuel (when you apply online, eg, if you live on a boat)

Spoonie_Turtle

Still no detail how exactly they determine who will get the automatic £200 then.

dealyboy

What are the chances I will receive the £200 AFP?

I live in a park home in a park home site.
Residents have individual direct relationships with electricity suppliers.
There is no gas supply to the site.
Most if not all residents use gas cylinders delivered to them individually. Except me.
I am surrounded by LPG users.
I have electric only with no central heating, reliant on portable electric heaters.

Thanks.

mmmmikey

dealyboy said:

What are the chances I will receive the £200 AFP?

I live in a park home in a park home site.
Residents have individual direct relationships with electricity suppliers.
There is no gas supply to the site.
Most if not all residents use gas cylinders delivered to them individually. Except me.
I am surrounded by LPG users.
I have electric only with no central heating, reliant on portable electric heaters.

Thanks.

Difficult to say. On the one hand, you're not using an "alternative fuel" such as the examples given - oil, lpg, biomass, coal, etc.  On the other hand everyone in NI is getting the payment so the government may take a similarly broad view and include everyone who doesn't have mains gas. Also we don't know what level of proof will be needed to make a claim if you fall through the net. So I certainly wouldn't bank on getting the payment but I wouldn't rule it out either - which doesn't really help you There's just no certainty about eligibility yet, we'll have to keep waiting.....

dealyboy

mmmmikey said:

dealyboy said:

What are the chances I will receive the £200 AFP?

I live in a park home in a park home site.
Residents have individual direct relationships with electricity suppliers.
There is no gas supply to the site.
Most if not all residents use gas cylinders delivered to them individually. Except me.
I am surrounded by LPG users.
I have electric only with no central heating, reliant on portable electric heaters.

Thanks.

Difficult to say. On the one hand, you're not using an "alternative fuel" such as the examples given - oil, lpg, biomass, coal, etc.  On the other hand everyone in NI is getting the payment so the government may take a similarly broad view and include everyone who doesn't have mains gas. Also we don't know what level of proof will be needed to make a claim if you fall through the net. So I certainly wouldn't bank on getting the payment but I wouldn't rule it out either - which doesn't really help you There's just no certainty about eligibility yet, we'll have to keep waiting.....

Thanks mmmmikey ... I'm not banking on it but hopeful that the net may catch me by accident.

Book_of_Roger_2

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.

Asked EDF by e-mail. I have never told them (until now) that I heat with oil. In reply they just parroted what was on most web sites including the .gov one but suggested I keep checking their web site. They did offer to install a smart meter for me (!). I suspect quite a few of us will end up having to complain to see any money.

lohr500

Book_of_Roger_2 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.

Asked EDF by e-mail. I have never told them (until now) that I heat with oil. In reply they just parroted what was on most web sites including the .gov one but suggested I keep checking their web site. They did offer to install a smart meter for me (!). I suspect quite a few of us will end up having to complain to see any money.

We all need to keep calm and have some patience. The details have not yet been finalised and I am sure the energy providers are waiting for Govt guidance or will already be in discussion with Govt. to figure out how the scheme will work.
Once the details are finalised, hopefully all will be made clear.

Bombarding them with enquiries now won't help as they have no answers and any questions on the £200 support will just divert their resources from the 1000's of other customers who have concerns that they can answer in these difficult times.

Once the details are released, we can then raise questions if we haven't received the payment in February to which we believe we are entitled.