Exact date END of £2,000 energy subsidies from Britain’s biggest supplier

ENERGY subsidies from Britain’s largest supplier are due to expire in a few days.

The British Gas Individual and Families Fund will close on Friday 8 March.

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The fund was first established in 2021 to help households struggling with energy debt.

The support was made available to both British Gas and non-British Gas customers with utility bill or prepayment meter debts.

If you are a credit account customer and have already submitted your application before March 4, please ensure you have completed it in full.

This means that if you have been asked for further information by British Gas and you do not do so before the closing date, your application will be rejected.

Energy customers could previously get up to £1,500 in help from the fund, but this was recently increased by £500 due to the number of people still struggling with the cost of living.

There are certain criteria you must meet to qualify for the fund, and we have listed them here:

• Have an energy debt of up to €1,500 and have an energy credit account, or use a prepayment meter in your main home
• The energy bill must be in the applicant’s name
• You must live in England, Scotland or Wales.
• Have not received a grant from British Gas Energy Trust in the last two years.
• You must apply for a grant to pay off outstanding debts
• Have an electricity and/or gas debt
• Facing fuel poverty
• Received help from a money advice agency

If your application is successful, your energy bill will be credited with the subsidy.

Mother-of-three Farzana Ali received more than £1,000 in help from the British Gas Fund when she fell into debt during the pandemic.

She said: ‘I was so shocked when they said they were going to pay the whole debt for me.

“It was such a relief, I can’t explain how relieved I felt.”

It is important to know that this is not a cash payment, but a subsidy credited to your energy bill.

You can check your eligibility on the British Gas website or visit one of the British Gas Post Office pop-ups.

By visiting one of the pop-ups you can speak to someone personally about the subsidy and also receive free money and energy advice.

A list of all locations where this service is available can be found on the British Gas website.

If you are a British Gas customer, additional help is available through the Energy Support Fund.

This additional support is still available regardless of whether customers have a credit account or a prepayment meter.

What is the Energy Support Fund?

The fund is only available to British Gas customers and offers between £250 and £1,500 to those with electricity or gas debts.

You must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a grant from the British Gas Energy Support Fund:

• Live in England, Scotland or Wales
• Have not received a grant from British Gas Energy Trust in the last twelve months
• Have an electricity and/or gas debt between €250 and €2,000
• You have to be in or confronted with fuel poverty
• You must apply for a grant to pay off an outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual-fuel energy bill in your name or you are a member of that household, the energy bill must relate to your main residence

Proof of income is required with the application.

This is taken into account together with household expenditure to determine whether you are in or at risk of fuel poverty.

What other help is available?

Most energy suppliers have a discretionary grant scheme to help support their most vulnerable customers.

Grants vary per supplier and the exact amount you receive will of course depend on your own financial circumstances.

Here you will find a full list of other energy suppliers offering subsidies.

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The EDF Customer Support Fund can help customers who are in debt or experiencing financial difficulties.

It can also provide help with purchasing energy-efficient white goods, helping customers reduce their bills in the long term.

To receive a cash grant from EDF you must be a customer and sign up to the Priority Services Register.

Once you have done this and your circumstances have been assessed, you can apply for an energy subsidy.

The fund is open for customers to apply and there is currently no end date for applications.

Scottish power

Scottish Power customers could receive up to £750 in grants from the hardship fund to help with their energy bills.

You may qualify for assistance if you receive any of the following benefits:

• Income support
• Unemployment benefits
• Pension credit
• Employment and Support Allowance

You can submit an application online and you will receive a response within five working days.

If your application is successful, you will be contacted about next steps.

Scottish Power offers the fund all year round, so regular customers can sign up now.

Octopus energy

Octopus Energy offers a range of support, including cash from the Octopus Energy Assist Fund.

It may also include borrowing a thermal camera to detect heat leaks in your home that you can fix to reduce energy consumption and your bill.

The company also conducts home energy visits to discuss how households can reduce their consumption. In addition, electric blankets are provided free of charge.

Octopus encourages all customers to contact us if they have any issues with their bills.

The Octo Assist fund is still open for applications and there is no deadline for customers to apply.

E.ON

Customers of both E.ON and E.ON Next can apply for cash subsidies to help with their energy costs.

E.ON has no established eligibility criteria, but the fund aims to help as many people as possible and applications from those with the greatest needs are given priority.

To complete your application, you will need your energy account number and a recent meter reading.

You can apply online via the Eon website.

You will be asked to provide evidence of your circumstances, for example proof of household income or DWP benefit payments.