British Gas is offering up to £2,000 worth of support to customers struggling with spiralling energy debt.
The British Gas Energy Trust, which is an independent charitable organisation funded by British Gas, has reopened its £140million Energy Support Fund, offering help to both credit and pre-payment customers.
While energy bills are now priced lower than their peak two years ago, they remain well above pre-energy-crisis levels. The energy price cap increased by a further 10% in October, pushing heating bills up for many heading into winter.
However, the Energy Support Fund can provide vital relief to many who are struggling, making it important for households to check if they can qualify for help.
Jessica Taplin, CEO of the British Gas Energy Trust, said: “This winter is likely to be as challenging as the last, and the British Gas Energy Trust are committed to helping people get back on top of their energy bills before the really cold weather arrives. The reopening of the Energy Support Fund offers eligible households an opportunity to clear up to £2,000 of energy debt, helping ensure that people can keep their homes warm and healthy this winter.”
A few boxes must be ticked before people can apply for a grant. Firstly, they must be British Gas credit or pre-payment meter customers living in England, Scotland, or Wales.
People must also be seeking a grant to clear an outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account in their name or be a member of that household. The energy account must relate to the person’s main residence.
They must have a minimum debt of £50 as a pre-payment meter customer, or £250 as a credit account customer, and a maximum £2,000 gas and/or electricity debt.
People must also be in or facing Fuel Poverty and have received help from a money advice agency or used British Gas’s trusted partner’s self help Benefit Calculator tool within the last six months.
Fuel poverty in England is measured using the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator. Under this indicator, a household is considered to be in fuel poverty if the following two conditions apply:
- They are living in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below
- When they spend the required amount to heat their home, they are left with a residual income below the official poverty line.
People cannot apply if they have received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last 12 months.
If these criteria are met, people may be eligible for a Trust grant.
The Individual and Families Fund is another grant available through the British Gas Energy Trust, and this is aimed at both British Gas and non-British Gas customers.
Pre-payment meter households must be seeking to clear between £50 and £1,700 worth of energy debt, while credit households must have between £250 and £1,700 of energy debt.
If this applies, people can apply if they live in England, Scotland or Wales and have not received a grant from British Gas in the last two years.
However, the energy charity urged non-British Gas customers to check their own energy providers aren’t offering support before applying. It said: “We want to ensure that grants go to people who cannot access energy debt help from their own provider.
“Several suppliers have their own support fund restricted to their customers only. These are OVO, Boost, Eon, Eon Next, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus, Shell Energy, SSE and Utilita. If you are a customer of one of these companies, please apply to them directly.”
