Switching And Warm Homes Discount

stressedofdevon · 5 October 2017 at 10:27AM

How on earth does one switch to a cheaper supplier when in receipt of the Warm Homes Discount?

I am not in the core group but have received the discount every year from British Gas. My fixed rate deal has ended and the next cheapest major supplier would save me approx £199 per annum so I want to switch. However, if I lose the WHD that will wipe out most of the saving.

I have already applied to British Gas when applications opened last month. This morning I spent 25 minutes waiting to talk to EON and when I got through to 'Gary' it felt like he was bluffing most of his answers. He said they had been taking applications for this year's Warm Home Discount since July and payments were already being credited, which I am pretty sure from reading online is incorrect? Does anyone know better please?

'Gary' told me I would simply forfeit the WHD if I left British Gas now because my application would need to see it through to payment from them before I could reapply with another supplier next year.

Is this all accurate? It makes me feel the WHD holds me hostage when better prices are available elsewhere. Surely that's not what the government intended?

Has anyone experience of switching in these circumstances who can offer help or advice please?

SpotlandRules · 5 October 2017 at 10:48AM

If you are in the core group, then the payment is made by whichever supplier is supplying you on the qualifying date. The date escapes me (but it has already passed).

You are free to move and British Gas have to pay you this amount. If you are no longer a customer of theirs, then this should be paid via cheque.

It is only the broader group people, who would not get paid, if they switched provider before payment is made.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 5 October 2017 at 12:11PM

stressedofdevon wrote: »

How on earth does one switch to a cheaper supplier when in receipt of the Warm Homes Discount?

I am not in the core group but have received the discount every year from British Gas. My fixed rate deal has ended and the next cheapest major supplier would save me approx £199 per annum so I want to switch. However, if I lose the WHD that will wipe out most of the saving.

I have already applied to British Gas when applications opened last month. This morning I spent 25 minutes waiting to talk to EON and when I got through to 'Gary' it felt like he was bluffing most of his answers. He said they had been taking applications for this year's Warm Home Discount since July and payments were already being credited, which I am pretty sure from reading online is incorrect? Does anyone know better please?

'Gary' told me I would simply forfeit the WHD if I left British Gas now because my application would need to see it through to payment from them before I could reapply with another supplier next year.

Is this all accurate? It makes me feel the WHD holds me hostage when better prices are available elsewhere. Surely that's not what the government intended?

Has anyone experience of switching in these circumstances who can offer help or advice please?

Hello stressedofdevon and sorry you had to wait on the phone this morning.

As you're looking to apply for Warm Home Discount through the Broader Group, what Gary has said is mainly correct. We started taking applications for the current 2017/18 scheme this June and began making payments to eligible customers from 4 September 17. We'll make all payments by 31 March 18.

Broader Group applicants need to apply to their electricity supplier. As SpotlandRules says, this is different from those who qualify under the Core Group. Core Group customers receive their payments automatically from whoever supplied their electricity on the qualifying date (9 July 17 for the 2017/18 payment). They don't need to apply.

If you were to switch to us, you'll need to apply for the payment again under our scheme. Broader Group applications can't be transferred between suppliers. We're still taking applications under the Broader Group but, once we receive a certain number, we'll close this part of our 2017/18 scheme. In previous years we closed the Broader Group scheme to new applicants in November/December. Not saying this will be the same for 2017/18. It's just something to be aware of.

I can't speak for other suppliers but, with our Broader Group applicants, if they change supplier before we make the payment we'll cancel their application and they'll need to re-apply to their new supplier.

Hope this explains stressedofdevon. There's some FAQs on our website that might be of interest too. Let me know if you need any more details as happy to help.

Malc

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 5 October 2017 at 12:48PM

SpotlandRules wrote: »

If you are in the core group, then the payment is made by whichever supplier is supplying you on the qualifying date. The date escapes me (but it has already passed).

You are free to move and British Gas have to pay you this amount. If you are no longer a customer of theirs, then this should be paid via cheque.

It is only the broader group people, who would not get paid, if they switched provider before payment is made.

Spot on SpotlandRules. As above, the qualifying date for Core Group customers for the 2017/18 payment is 9 July 17. Whoever supplied the electricity to these customers on this date will make the payment. As you say, if we were the supplier and the account has left us we'll usually send a cheque. If there's still a balance left to pay, we’ll put the discount onto the account to help pay this off.

Malc

stressedofdevon · 5 October 2017 at 4:45PM

Thanks for the advice. It would seem I am indeed trapped by not being in the core group. Hopefully I can reassess once the WHD has been credited to my account.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 6 October 2017 at 10:59AM

stressedofdevon wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. It would seem I am indeed trapped by not being in the core group. Hopefully I can reassess once the WHD has been credited to my account.

You're welcome stressedofdevon and let me know if you need any more information. Happy to help.

Malc

MoneyMate · 6 October 2017 at 11:31AM

Sorry for the question but what exactly is a Core Group customer ?

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 6 October 2017 at 12:13PM

MoneyMate wrote: »

Sorry for the question but what exactly is a Core Group customer ?

Hello MoneyMate.

There are two parts to the Warm Home Discount scheme. The Core and Broader Groups.

Customers who qualify through the Core Group receive their payments automatically and don't need to apply. They're identified by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP will contact these customers directly between September 17 and November 17 to let them know. The DWP will also tell us and, provided we supply the electricity on the qualifying date of 9 July 17, we'll sort out the payment. We'll also write to customers in the Core Group once the payment has been made. As above, if these customers have left us since the 9 July 17, we'll either send them a cheque or put the payment towards any outstanding balance.

With the Broader Group, we identify the customers who are eligible based on their receipt of certain benefits. These conditions can change year on year and customers need to apply separately each year. Applications aren't rolled over from year to year. More details of what's needed to qualify are available on our website. If customers in this group leave us before the payment is made, they'll need to re-apply to their new supplier. Each energy supplier involved with Warm Home Discount handles the Broader Group part in their own way and with their own time frame and conditions.

Hope this explains MoneyMate. Let me know if you're still unsure as happy to help.

Malc

MoneyMate · 7 October 2017 at 1:16PM

Thanks Malc, never too old to learn something new.

Smodlet · 7 October 2017 at 5:05PM

I think I am right in saying that Core Group customers are those in receipt of the non-savings element of Guaranteed Pension Credit. Anyone else, including those who received only the savings element of GPC, is Broader Group. If any of this is incorrect I am confident Malc will be along to clarify the situation. HTH.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 17 October 2017 at 2:20PM

MoneyMate wrote: »

Thanks Malc, never too old to learn something new.

You're welcome MoneyMate. Happy to help and sorry for the late reply. Been away for over a week.

Malc

Switching And Warm Homes Discount

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