IF YOU ARE YET TO REGISTER A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION FOR THE £200 ALTERNATIVE FUEL PAYMENT GRANT, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING LINK TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN MAKE OR PROGRESS YOUR APPLICATIONS – THE SCHEME CLOSES ON THE 31st MAY 2023
TELEPHONE 0808 175 3443
https://www.gov.uk/apply-alternative-fuel-bill-support-if-not-automatic
Dear all,
As you are aware the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) launched on 27 February, allowing eligible households who do not have a domestic electricity supply to apply for their £400 support.
The Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund (AFP AF) launched on 6 March, allowing eligible households who use alternative fuels to apply for the £200 support, where this has not already been received directly through their electricity supplier.
Both schemes are closing for new applications on Wednesday 31 May. The application portals will close at 11:59pm 31 May and after 6pm 31 May the contact centre helplines will not accept any new applications for both schemes.
However, applications from corporate appointees using business bank accounts can still apply for the EBSS AF until 16 June, by calling the EBSS AF contact centre helpline on 0808 175 3287. This is the only way for corporate appointees using business bank accounts to apply for the scheme after 31 May.
We are aware that corporate appointees who have attempted to apply for the EBSS AF on behalf of eligible applicants, using a business bank account, have been unable to do so until now as business bank accounts were not accepted. Officials have now resolved this matter, and corporate appointees are now able to apply for the scheme on behalf of eligible individuals via the contact centre helpline.
This limited extension period has therefore been agreed for corporate appointees using business bank accounts as they have been unable to apply throughout the duration of the scheme to date, and so an additional 2 weeks have been provided so that eligible applicants with corporate appointees using business bank accounts are able to apply for their support.
The AFP AF scheme will close on 31 May with no extension period provided. As the use of corporate appointees with business bank accounts is a matter which primarily relates to those in residential care, the AFP AF does not require any extension period as these individuals are not eligible for the AFP AF scheme.
The contact centre helplines for both schemes will remain open to assist applicants who still have applications being processed or who need assistance with a cancelled or rejected application.
Local authorities will continue to process applications after the schemes have closed to new applications and we expect final payments to all eligible applicants to be completed in the summer.
Any review cases that have been raised by an applicant will also continue to be processed after the schemes close to new applications. Any application that has been incorrectly rejected will be reconsidered by local authorities who will process the claim and, if the application is deemed eligible, will deliver the support into their bank account.
If you have any queries regarding the closure of the EBSS AF, please contact energy.bills.rebate@beis.gov.uk.
If you have any queries regarding the closure of the AFP AF, please contact: Domestic Alternative Fuel Payment domesticAFP@beis.gov.uk
Thank you for your continued support throughout the duration of the EBSS AF and the AFP AF.
Kind Regards
The EBSS AF and AFP AF Teams
FURTHER INFORMATION
NB: For those who have already applied but have had their applications rejected the helplines will REMAIN open to assist them. Also, any review cases that have been raised by an applicant will also continue to be processed after the schemes close to new applications.
If you are affected by any of these circumstances, please the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero using the relevant email address below.
If anyone has any queries regarding the closure of the EBSS AF, they should contact energy.bills.rebate@beis.gov.uk.
If anyone has any queries regarding the closure of the AFP AF, they should contact domesticAFP@beis.gov.uk
31st May 2023.