Denied warm home discount

Mikebella

After the new rules for WHD my neighbour is being refused the discount. She has very high energy consumption due to storage heaters and poor energy efficiency (Grade E). 

- they said the information the gov shared said her property has good energy efficiency. 

-She said how when my EPC proved otherwise. 

- they said her property is 58 square metres. 

-She said which used 562kwh per square metres which is nearly 4x more than ppl with properties bigger than mine and smaller than mine. 

-they said it’s saying I have good energy efficiency because of the size

-again I she said it does not. She explained it has EPC grade E, no insulation or good energy efficiency outlets or anything in the property (which is stated on the EPC)

- they said they don’t go by what my EPC says (even though the first time she rang over a month ago they said that’s what they use) - where they claimed it was a C even though its an E.

- She said so how do you determine my energy efficiency when that is what an EPC is for…

- hangs up 

Rang again 

Had similar convo, and was hung up on. Rang them 4 times in total, no1 will tell her where she can send proof of the energy Efficiency, no1 will tell her how to dispute it they just tell her to go look at other services for different help. Which she shouldn’t have too as she is entitled to this?! 

They have no1 to transfer her to no1 to complain too, no way of appealing. They are basically saying tough !!!!!!…. 

And don’t care she's been incorrectly denied the help. 

She is paying £500 a month minimum. If she had heating all the time it he would be well over a £1,000 per month. But due to health condition has stayed at her mums. So she's not there all the time as either at work or her mum's. Basically can't afford to heat the home and stay healthy so has to go elsewhere. 

She's really looking for a way to dispute this warm home discount decision any advice would be massively appreciated

elsien

You said that she’s working. So it’s generally around low income as well as energy efficiency. Does she meet the low income criteria? 

Who is her energy supplier and what are their specific criteria?

Mikebella

I presume she meets the low income criteria otherwise she wouldn't be pursuing it. OVO energy, I don't think they have specific criteria this time around as DWP has contracted a private company to judge who is eligible for the discount. This seems to be part of the problem as they have come across as incompetent and have no knowledge of what is actually going on.

WhiskersTheWonderCat

£500 a month on gas? Is she heating the whole house? Especially as you say she works so isn't home much. 

Pixiecat101

I have a very similar problem, I'm in a council property and don't have a epc rating other houses that are private have e ratings and I was told no I'm not entitled and was told I could dispute the decision and gave me a phone number that I rang only to be told they produce the software not make the epc ratings.
I qualify under income support 

I don't know what to do next either

KxMx

If in England or Wales you now have to be on certain means tested benefits AND be deemed to live somewhere with high energy costs.

The high energy costs are calculated on age of property, property type and size. EPC's are a red herring, they are where an individual can get the age/size info but aren't used in the calculation. 

There is no longer a "broader group" for the WHD. The WHD as we knew it is gone. 

Sadly unless the calculation says you qualify there is very little if anything you can do about it, other than feedback to your MP. 

breaking_free

The alternative, of course, is for your friend to pay for insulation and installation herself rather than asking me and other taxpayers to fund it. Not trying to come across as snide, simply stating a different viewpoint.

Mikebella

breaking_free said:

The alternative, of course, is for your friend to pay for insulation and installation herself rather than asking me and other taxpayers to fund it. Not trying to come across as snide, simply stating a different viewpoint.

She pays tax as well. 

Mikebella

WhiskersTheWonderCat said:

£500 a month on gas? Is she heating the whole house? Especially as you say she works so isn't home much. 

She's having issues and can't find out why usage is so high. Been back and forth with ovo to try and sort it out but to no avail. If she used the heating to the point where the house is warm and comfortable it would be well over a thousand pounds.

Gerry1

I trust her storage heaters are on an Economy 7 tariff?  Check that the day and night registers are not transposed.  Also do the Meter Sanity Test, especially if the meter is in an external cupboard or meter room.

If they're old-style Box of Bricks NSHs (as opposed to moderm High Heat Retention ones such as Dimplex Quantum), here's a video about how they should be used.

elsien

Mikebella said:

I presume she meets the low income criteria otherwise she wouldn't be pursuing it. OVO energy, I don't think they have specific criteria this time around as DWP has contracted a private company to judge who is eligible for the discount. This seems to be part of the problem as they have come across as incompetent and have no knowledge of what is actually going on.

It says the low income/high energy group will be paid automatically. So does she claim UC or housing benefit or any of the other income related benefits at all? I believe that is still relevant alongside the EPG/energy costs. 
The Warm Home Discount scheme: what it is and how to apply | OVO Energy

If she does qualify on income grounds then she could try writing to them to query the high energy bit of it  - has she checked the energy criteria on here?
Warm Home Discount: eligibility statement (England and Wales) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

110552 Warm Home Discount Scheme
PO Box 26965
Glasgow
G1 9BW

Then take their reply to her MP if she's still getting nowhere.