With energy prices rocketing, the UK government has stepped into subsidise energy costs. Below is a quick summary of what’s accessible and to who and how to claim if you need to.
EPG – Energy Price Guarantee. Domestic customers who have a domestic electricity meter and are supplied by a licenced electricity supplier such as Octopus or SSE. These consumers will receive EPG ( commonly known as the price cap) by way of a capped tariff. Bills received over the period are capped at maximum rate of 34p gas and 10.3 for gas. These rates are automatically applied to the invoice so there is no need to contact the energy supplier.
EBSS – Energy Bill Support Scheme. Available to the same set of customers who also benefit from EPG. As part of the Governments costs of living package, EBSS is additional support by way of a payment of £400. This payment is seen as a discount on invoicing. It is split over 6 months. A value of £66 is discounted by the energy supplier on each monthly invoice. This is automatically applied to your invoice from the energy supplier. More information here.
EBRS – Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Available to business and organisations.. The commodity element of the invoice is set at a maximum rate of 21.1 for electricity and 7.5 for gas. Or if on a flexible purchasing contract 40.5 (elec) or 11.05 (gas). Its only applicable for contracts agreed after April 22 for consumption from October 22 to March 23. Its important to understand that the commodity price, only represents a proportion of the costs that make up your energy bill. Therefore you should not expect to see the tariff set at 21.1 or 7.5. More information is here.
EBDS – Energy Bill Discount Scheme. Available to business and organisations. When EBRS finishes EBDS will commence and run from April 23 to March 24. With Electricity: a maximum discount of £19.61/MWh and discounts being applied only when the wholesale price goes above £302/MWh. With Gas: a maximum discount of £6.97/MWh and discounts being applied only when the wholesale price goes above £107/MWh. More information is here.
EBSS Alternative funding – Available for those who do not have a direct relationship with their electricity provider. This alternative to EBSS is available through an application process through local government. The latest states that for applications through the GOV.UK portal is due to open in January 23, but this appears to be delayed and is more likely to be February. More information is here.
AFP Alternative fuel Payment – Domestic customers who use alternative fuels such as biomass or heating oil to meet energy costs this winter. Most households eligible for the AFP support in Great Britain, will receive payment automatically via their electricity supplier in February, with no need to take any action. Those households who will need to apply for the AFP, for example because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, will be able to do so in February, through the same GOV.UK portal as the one that will be used to apply for support under the EBSS Alternative Funding scheme. More information is here.
