We’re pleased to be able to advise you that the government has now launched a secure online portal for domestic off-grid customers who have not yet received their £200 fuel payment to enable them to apply for energy bill support.
Who can apply for alternative fuel payments?
Most off-grid customers, which includes those that use heating oil or LPG, should have received their payments last month through their electricity supplier. Those that didn’t fall into three broad categories:
- Those with no direct relationship with an electricity supplier
- Those that use an alternative fuel, but their home is on the gas grid
- Those that were excluded because of the high occurrence of electric heating in their area
To qualify for the payment, customers' main home must also be:
- In a residential park home
- On a boat on a permanent residential mooring
- On a permanent Gypsy or Traveller site
- Part of a heat network without an electricity meter
- In social or private rented accommodation which has a business energy connection or a communal electricity supply
- Off the mains electricity or gas grid
- Part of a business property (such as a farm or flat above a shop)
Who can't apply for alternative fuel payments?
You cannot apply if you live:
- In purpose-built student accommodation
- In a care home
- On a boat as a continuous cruiser (although this is currently under review)
- On a non-permanent caravan or mobile home site (again this is currently under review)
- In accommodation provided by your employer (such as seasonal workers, 'service occupiers', security guards, building caretakers)
- In a building where you're acting as a property guardian
- In business premises, such as a pub or hotel, where your address is the same as the business address
How to apply for alternative fuel payments
To apply for alternative fuel payments, visit the government online portal, which will be open until the end of May 2023.
Customers should have ready proof of address and bank account details. They will also be asked to provide proof of heating oil or LPG purchases with a value of £200 or more and with a date between September 2022 and the end of the application window (31st May 2023). The household must be the main residence of the person making the application, and only those off the gas grid can apply.
After a number of checks, customers should get payments through their local authority – not their heating oil or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) supplier. All payments will be made by 30th June 2023.
Don’t have online access?
For those customers that do not have online access, the contact centre helpline can be reached on 0808 1753943 for applicants in Great Britain and a representative will guide them through the application process. The helpline is open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Beware of scams
The government has warned customers to be aware of scams – no one will contact you from the government about this unless you contact them.
Any more updates?
Check back here for more recent updates, we will update this blog with links to more up to date information.
- March 2023: The energy price cap has fallen, but bills will still rise. What’s going on?
- January 2023: Update on the government support for off-grid households
- January 2023: Update on the government's domestic alternative fuel payment