Alternative Fuel Payment

casabonita

Anyone else having to chase this payment from an Energy Supplier?

If GOV UK authorised these payments at the beginning of February, is it possible that these Companies are hoarding the money just like they are doing with the grossly over estimated Direct Debits?

Spoonie_Turtle

casabonita said:

Anyone else having to chase this payment from an Energy Supplier?

If GOV UK authorised these payments at the beginning of February, is it possible that these Companies are hoarding the money just like they are doing with the grossly over estimated Direct Debits?

No.  They have to account for the money and any left over by the end of the scheme has to be returned to the government.  The government didn't even send them the list of qualifying accounts until early February (probably the 6th).

Which supplier are you with?  It seems that most of them have sent out the automatic payments to those who pay by Direct Debit, although they do have until the end of the month and British Gas seem to not have sent theirs yet.

mmmmikey

casabonita said:

Anyone else having to chase this payment from an Energy Supplier?

If GOV UK authorised these payments at the beginning of February, is it possible that these Companies are hoarding the money just like they are doing with the grossly over estimated Direct Debits?

....keep in mind that not everyone entitled to the payment will get it automatically by the end of February - some will have to apply via an online portal, which we're still waiting for the details of. Without going into the details here (there are various threads that explain how it works) there are some areas of the country where there is no gas and most people use something other than electricity instead. Rather than go to the expense of working which households to pay by processing gazillions of applications, the Government has effectively said - stuff it, let's make the payment to everyone in that area as it will work out cheaper for the tax payer that way so nobody loses out even though some folk will get money even though they don't use an alternative fuel. It's the people in those areas being paid at the moment. If you haven't been paid, it may be because you're not in one of those areas.

greenhill

I pay by DD to Octopus.
On logging in to my Octopus account I see the £200 was paid to it on the 14th.
I had no email at all.

dunstonh

Anyone else having to chase this payment from an Energy Supplier?

No.  We are only just days into the starting point for payments with almost another 2 weeks to go.

If GOV UK authorised these payments at the beginning of February, is it possible that these Companies are hoarding the money just like they are doing with the grossly over estimated Direct Debits?

Authorising payments on the basis of the filtering was not carried out all at the same time.

If you are relying on over estimated direct debits then that is your own fault.  People who understand their energy use don't have that problem.

gbhxu

Had mine Monday 13th. I'm with Eon Next.

OP may find themselves in an area where payment won't be automatic (e.g. gas mains area but not connected to mains gas) and they will have to apply through the Government portal when it's up and running by the end of February

Jaybee_16

No notification but Bulb credited my account with £200 earlier this week.

NedS

Still waiting for mine - OVO.

I'm on the list of postcodes with no mains gas, and show very low electricity usage for heating in our area on the other database so should qualify automatically (I'll be really surprised if I don't).

dealyboy

NedS said:

Still waiting for mine - OVO.

I'm on the list of postcodes with no mains gas, and show very low electricity usage for heating in our area on the other database so should qualify automatically (I'll be really surprised if I don't).

Hope you do ... Have OVO paid the AFP generally yet? they have until midnight 28th Feb. Have any of your neighbours in your postcode received it (whichever supplier) if so then you should whatever your particular circumstances.

Greenboard

I pay by DD for electricity with British Gas, and use heating by oil. The AFP £200 is in my BG a/c but BG refused on web-chat and phone to issue £200 to my bank to pay for oil. BG via Twitter insisted on billing my a/c to date and refunding the balance (less)!! I eventually obtained about 2/3 of the £200 into my bank, issued as a “refund” after an up to date bill was “applied” to my account, which was in credit to the tune of £250 including the AFP. The message is to be persistent in obtaining the AFP once it arrives in your electricity account. I see from the forum that other energy suppliers are issuing the AFP to DD customers bank accounts automatically, which is easier for purchasing alternative fuel. 

NedS

dealyboy said:

NedS said:

Still waiting for mine - OVO.

I'm on the list of postcodes with no mains gas, and show very low electricity usage for heating in our area on the other database so should qualify automatically (I'll be really surprised if I don't).

Hope you do ... Have OVO paid the AFP generally yet? they have until midnight 28th Feb. Have any of your neighbours in your postcode received it (whichever supplier) if so then you should whatever your particular circumstances.

Well, didn't get mine automatically. OVO confirmed they have completed the payments and I wasn't on the list sent to them by the government. Strange, as I'm on both the lists shared here and definitely in an area with no mains gas (rural area, all oil heating). Waiting for the government portal to open to manually apply. Luckily we are not desperate for the cash.