Alternate Fuel Payment £200

RG2015

This is on the Citizens Advice website. The link is at the foot of this post.

If you don’t have a contract with an electricity supplier

You’ll need to apply for the payment. You’ll be able to apply on the government website from 6 March.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/help-with-bills-if-you-use-alternative-fuels/#:~:text=This is called the 'Alternative,will send you a voucher.

mhcks

The XoServe database is wrong as is SGNs mapping.  SGN believe one house: our immediate neighbour to be on mains gas.  There is no gas in the village and the neighbour uses oil!  They even admit that they have no pipelines here!! 

We will all have to apply once the GOV WEBPAGE on the subject permits

Davidt5000

Just been checking the database. My postcode isn't on it. It's a rural area where one part has mains gas and the other doesn't.  All the same postcode though. Tried talking to British Gas who were no help as they have nothing on specific properties. There is no mains supply where we are and we are on LPG. So like others here I guess we will have to apply separately. There must be many places like us though where the mains only goes so far. 

Davidt5000

Spoonie_Turtle said:

pcgtron said:

I'm on that list published by Xoserve, but I still didn't receive the payment, so will have to apply. It's all a bit of a cluster f

That's only the first criterion for an automatic payment.  The second is being in an area where the main form of heating is not electric.  If you're not on the list of automatically eligible addresses then you have to apply - that's how it was designed.

Out of curiously how is an "area" defined for these purposes? Those without a mains gas option or the whole postcode area? 

Spoonie_Turtle

Davidt5000 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

pcgtron said:

I'm on that list published by Xoserve, but I still didn't receive the payment, so will have to apply. It's all a bit of a cluster f

That's only the first criterion for an automatic payment.  The second is being in an area where the main form of heating is not electric.  If you're not on the list of automatically eligible addresses then you have to apply - that's how it was designed.

Out of curiously how is an "area" defined for these purposes? Those without a mains gas option or the whole postcode area? 

It's based on census data, the guidance says 'Lower Super Layer Output Area' (LSOA).  There are census areas visible on this tool https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/census2021howhomesareheatedinyourarea/2023-01-05
This zooms to what it just calls 'Output Area' but zooming out takes to the Medium layer, so presumably the smaller ones are the lower ones - but as I said, I can't be 100% certain. 

[Incidentally my area as a search result corresponds to the parish boundary but none of the adjacent ones do, nor can I find any others locally that do, so I do not know how those areas are decided/defined.]

dealyboy

... Just a big up for @Spoonie_Turtle, who has responded to countless comments and questions on the AFP now, with clarity and respect.

To me what is particularly impressive is that he/she/they are responding to each one individually, no cut and paste job.

Spoonie_Turtle

dealyboy said:

... Just a big up for @Spoonie_Turtle, who has responded to countless comments and questions on the AFP now, with clarity and respect.

To me what is particularly impressive is that he/she/they are responding to each one individually, no cut and paste job.

Aw, thank you, happy to help where I can!  [Turns out learning to interpret government-speak comes in useful for more than just welfare benefits 😄]

Davidt5000

Thank you. I will look to apply once the scheme opens. 

Somersetjen

The scheme is now open (though the government AFP website page was changed the other day to "contact your electricity supplier"). I'm a newbie here so I'm not allowed post the link but, having felt compelled to join to supply the information, I will try saying it's the ususal gov.uk website, forward slash apply-alternative-fuel-bill-support-if-not-automatic and hope that this is acceptible to moderators.

Does it strike others as rather unfair that no more than two invoices, which have to exceed £200.00, can be uploaded, and the cut off date for invoices is September 2022, so anything bought in smaller quantities, or during the summer in preparation for autumn, can't be included? Considering it is to support payments for fuel already made, it is also not helpful to turn the urgent support into "credit" for future use of a different system of energy. At least the late appliers will get the payment in their bank accounts, albeit in six week's time.

Do I sound grumbly? It's been such a palaver and time-consuming exercise (despite Octopus being as helpful as they can since they've been kept in the dark), the answer is yes!

dunstonh

Does it strike others as rather unfair that no more than two invoices, which have to exceed £200.00, can be uploaded, and the cut off date for invoices is September 2022, so anything bought in smaller quantities, or during the summer in preparation for autumn, can't be included?

Smallest amount for delivery is 500 litres.   To be less than £200, the oil price would be under 40ppl.     It hasn't been at that level during any of that period.

The invoice date is not very helpful.   Its not an issue to all those that fill up multiple times a year but for those with big tanks and low use, they may not have filled up in that time (or try and time their purchase to be over summer on the mistaken belief that summer is cheaper).    On the other hand, the intention may have been due to the price support from September.  

 Considering it is to support payments for fuel already made, it is also not helpful to turn the urgent support into "credit" for future use of a different system of energy. At least the late appliers will get the payment in their bank accounts, albeit in six week's time.

It actually makes sense to use that method as the cost of setting up an alternative way would have been significant.