The Government has started to pay the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment, with the majority of customers receiving the payment automatically as a credit on their electricity bill within the next month.
Electricity suppliers have been given a list of heating oil users by the Government. Recipients have been identified by Civil Servants using the off the gas grid database, information about individual electricity meters and recent census information.
If you don’t have a relationship with an electricity supplier (e.g. you live in a park home where you pay the park owner for your electricity, or on a houseboat), you’ll need to apply for the AFP through a new government portal, which government now says will be live on 27th February. This means you probably wouldn’t get the payment until the end of March.
Who will receive the Alternative Fuel Payment
The Government’s Alternative Fuel Payment is available to all homes who aren't using use mains gas for heating.
To help with your energy bills this winter, you'll receive the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) as a one-off payment of £200. This payment is in addition to the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) non-repayable discount of £400, which you should’ve already started to receive as a credit to your electricity bill.
How and when you’ll get your payment
For households with a domestic electricity contract, your £200 is due to be paid via your electricity supplier on 6th February. This will be done as a credit on your electricity bill.
How will the £200 alternative fuel payment will be paid by your electricity provider?
Octopus - Octopus will be providing the £200 alternative fuel payment by crediting your electricity account.
EDF -EDF will provide the alternative fuel payment in two ways:
1. If you are on a budget Direct Debit, you will receive the payment in your bank account.
2. If you are not on a budget Direct Debit, EDF will add £200 credit to your electricity account towards your next electricity bill.
OVO - OVO have a range of ways they will provide the alternative fuel payment.
If you pay your energy bill by Direct Debit, your alternative fuel payment will go straight into your bank account as a refund.
If you pay when you get your energy bill, OVO will provide the £200 as credit to your energy account.
If you use a Smart Pay As You Go meter to pay your energy bill, the £200 will be paid to your electricity smart meter as a credit.
If you have a traditional Pay As You Go meter, you will receive your alternative fuel payment by post with detailed instructions on how to process this payment. The two options to process payment are through mobile banking or a Pay Point.
British Gas - British Gas will be providing the £200 alternative fuel payment by a reverse direct debit.
Scottish Power - Scottish Power will be providing the alternative fuel payment into your bank account.
E-On - E-On will be providing the alternative fuel payment in three ways depending on the way you usually pay for your energy.
If you pay via Direct Debit or Pay On Receipt of Bill, the £200 paid into your energy account as credit, like mine below.
If you pay using a Pre-payment, a cash voucher will be sent to you. You will then need to go to a Post Office to get the money paid into your bank account.
If are a Pay As You Go customer, the alternative fuel payment will be sent to your electricity meter.
I don't have an Electricity provider!
Those in park homes or houseboats without a direct relationship with electricity supplier and those on the gas grid but without a gas connection who use heating oil, will need to apply to the domestic AFP Alternative Fund via application portal on gov.uk. This portal has now been opened and our trade organisation UKIFDA sent out the following to share this with our customers.
Government launches online portal for alternative fuel payments.
The government has launched the online alternative fuel payments portal for those heating oil customers who have not received their £200 payment directly through their electricity account.
The portal can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-alternative-fuel-bill-support-if-not-automatic and will be open until the end of May.
For those without online access, the contact centre helpline can be reached on 0808 1753943 for applicants in Great Britain where a representative will guide you through the application process. The helpline is open 8am to 6pm on Monday to Friday.
Customers should have ready proof of address, bank account details, and proof of heating oil purchases with a value of £200 or more and with a date between September 2022 and the end of the application window (31 May 2023). After a number of checks customers should get payments through their local authority. Should you need a copy Goff delivery note/invoice as proof then please complete our contact form.
Customers should be aware no one will contact you from government about this unless you contact them – so please be aware of scams.
Scam Warnings
With regard to the portal, the government has warned customers should take no action until the online portal launches later in February and that customers will not be asked for details by any individual or organisation prior to this or outside of the portal, and any such contact is likely to be a scam.
Here at Goff Heating Oil we would like to reiterate that in 99% of cases we believe that you will need to do nothing and will receive your £200 Alternative Fuel Payment direct via your electricity supplier.
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