Energy bill discount scheme 2022: Who in Manchester is eligible for new £400 fuel rebate & how to receive it?

Households across Manchester will be able to register for a £400 rebate on their energy bills this winter.

The rebate is part of the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide energy bill discounts to 29 million households across Great Britain.

The scheme comes as the government has come under pressure to provide support to those most affected by the cost of living crisis.

Here’s what you need to know about the scheme, including how money will be received and when payments will be made.

What is the scheme?

The Energy bill discount scheme is a plan launched by the UK Government to help support people with their energy bills.

It is a scheme which is open to millions of households and is hoped will ease the burden of increasing energy bills this winter.

When will the money be paid to households in Manchester?

The £400 discount, administered by energy suppliers, will be paid to consumers over 6 months with payments starting from October 2022, to ensure households receive financial support throughout the winter months.

How will the money be received?

Those with a domestic electricity meter point paying for their energy via standard credit, payment card and direct debit will receive an automatic deduction to their bills over the 6 month period – totalling £400.

Traditional prepayment meter customers will be provided with Energy Bill discount vouchers in the first week of each month, issued via SMS text, email or post, using the customer’s registered contact details. These customers will need to take action to redeem these at their usual top-up point, such as their nearest local PayPoint or Post Office branch.

Whichever way you receive the money, you should at no point be asked for bank details. If you are then you may be the subject of an attempted scam.

Who is eligible for the discount?

In short, over 29 million households are eligible for the discount. The only exception to this may be if you are a renter and your bills are included within your rent.

It is then down to your landlord to pass on the rebate to you.

Who is eligible for additional discounts?

Some households who are most in need of extra support will be eligible for further help in addition to the Energy Bill discount.

This includes:

• a £650 one-off Cost of Living Payment for around 8 million households on means tested benefits
• a £300 one-off Pensioner Cost of Living Payment for over 8 million pensioner households to be paid alongside the Winter Fuel Payment
• a £150 one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment for around six million people across the UK who receive certain disability benefits
• a £500 million increase and extension of the Household Support Fund available to councils to support vulnerable households with the cost of essentials such as food, utilities and clothing

A government spokesperson said: further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the one per cent of households who will not be reached through the EBSS.

“This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.

“An announcement with details on how and when these households across Great Britain can access this support will be made this Autumn.”

What has the government said?

Following the publication of the new information on the scheme, Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi spoke of how the government were keen to provide additional:

“We know that people are struggling with rising energy prices which is why we have taken action with support over the winter months to help ease the pressure on household budgets.

“This £400 off energy bills is part of our £37 billion of help for households, including eight million of the most vulnerable households receiving £1,200 of direct support to help with the cost of living.”