Not qualified for the Warm Home discount

hoppy_pop

Hello all,

I am hoping to get some advice on here in a very hopeless situation of mine.

I do not qualify for Warm Home Discount only because my landlord uses old pre-paid electricity meters. They distribute electricity cards for us and are named on the bill. I rent two-bed flat, pay council tax, and all other bills - I am a tenant of the whole 2 bed property.

I called Warm Home Discount customer service and was told I do not qualify as I am not named on the electricity bill. This is utterly unfair and is illegibility due to no fault of my own.

Is there any hope for me to receive any fuel payment or help with energy costs. This is such an unfortunate situation, I find it really hard to accept.

Look forward to hearing what you think and might advise

Thank you

Hoppy.

tacpot12

I think I would call Shelter and get some advice on whether you can legally change the meters to be in your name. You don't have to change the meters, you can still receive the Warm Home discount if the meters are prepayment meters. They just have to be in your name.

It seems a very odd setup, and may not be legal. You might be evicted if you make this change, so have a think about whether you have the resources to fight a legal or illegal eviction before trying to move ahead. It would probably be as well to wait until Section 21 evictions are ended by the Renters Rights Bill. This bill is expected to become law in Spring/Summer of this year - too late for you to benefit from the Warm Home Discount this year, if you wait for it to pass before changing the meters. 

Have you asked the landlord if they will allow you to change the meters to be in your name? If not, I think I would not do so until the Renters Right Bill is passed into law - then don't ask them, just have the meters change if Shelter confirm that you have the right to do this. 

QrizB

tacpot12 said:

I think I would call Shelter and get some advice on whether you can legally change the meters to be in your name.

It sounds very much as though the OP doesn't have an electricity supplier of their own. They instead have a sub-metered supply from their landlord's account. This is not uncommon and is entirely legal, provided the landlord doesn't make a profit on reselling.

tacpot12 said:

 you can still receive the Warm Home discount if the meters are prepayment meters.

But that requires that the OP has an electricity supply provided by one of the WHD-participating companies. And they don't.

tacpot12 said:

It seems a very odd setup, and may not be legal. You might be evicted if you make this change, so have a think about whether you have the resources to fight a legal or illegal eviction before trying to move ahead.

As above it's not illegal and there isn't anything for the OP to change.

tacpot12 said:

Have you asked the landlord if they will allow you to change the meters to be in your name? If not, I think I would not do so until the Renters Right Bill is passed into law - then don't ask them, just have the meters change if Shelter confirm that you have the right to do this. 

Sorry but this is one big red herring.

Ofgem's guidance for these sorts of supplies is here:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/resale-gas-and-electricity-guidance-resellers

Spoonie_Turtle

Out of interest, what prompted you to think you would have qualified in the first place?  Have you received it previously, or not long moved into the current property, or ?

hoppy_pop

Hi, 

Thank you for your responses so far. So, no hope for me given the landlord's re-supplying of the electricity. I buy pre-paid top-up cards from my landlord which I tend load onto my ancient meter.

@Spoonie_Turtle I received a letter from HM government stating that I could qualify. I am on a low-income and receive means-tested benefits. So, I believe, had I had the bill on my name, I would have qualified for the discount, and also for the Energy Bills Support Scheme discount of £400 offered last year - I've not received any of it either...

I tried looking for other means of financial help, I will try to enquire about Household Support Fund with costs of living. Is there any other financial help available for people on very low-incomes?

Thank you all for your previous inputs and those in advance.

hoppy_pop

PS. I have been living in the property for the past 5 years or so; have never received any government funded fuel help and my landlord is not very cooperative (agency who rents to DSS people), and I am not a confrontational person.

Spoonie_Turtle

hoppy_pop said:

@Spoonie_Turtle I received a letter from HM government stating that I could qualify. I am on a low-income and receive means-tested benefits. So, I believe, had I had the bill on my name, I would have qualified for the discount, and also for the Energy Bills Support Scheme discount of £400 offered last year - I've not received any of it either...

Oh that's a shame, in that case yes if you had your own supply and an account directly with the supplier you would have received that help.  But that would of course require a different setup.

Although it is likely the landlord will have received some form of government subsidy towards the electricity rates which will have kept down what you had to pay compared with the full cost, in lieu of the EBSS for domestic customers.

Scot_39

Have you checked with local council re possible insulation grants that might be suitable for rented flat.

To save by that way instead.

Some govt schemes were made more contributory though in past.

hoppy_pop

thanks all.

Spoonie_Turtle said:

hoppy_pop said:

@Spoonie_Turtle I received a letter from HM government stating that I could qualify. I am on a low-income and receive means-tested benefits. So, I believe, had I had the bill on my name, I would have qualified for the discount, and also for the Energy Bills Support Scheme discount of £400 offered last year - I've not received any of it either...

Oh that's a shame, in that case yes if you had your own supply and an account directly with the supplier you would have received that help.  But that would of course require a different setup.

Although it is likely the landlord will have received some form of government subsidy towards the electricity rates which will have kept down what you had to pay compared with the full cost, in lieu of the EBSS for domestic customers.

This was not reflected in the prices of electricity cards I believe. I did not notice any difference in usage/costs for electricity.

It's a flawed system, where sometimes the poorest can be worst off.

Thanks all for your inputs!