what real help is out there for energy bills

happyfella

i keep seeing articles in the paper about help for energy bills but when you look online it is hard to find them.

I have had to turn my gas off in my home to try and save money which is not a good idea as it is a cold house and i have just come out of hospital after a life saving operation.

I have not really seen scope say much or offer any real advice on help for energy bills so i am just wondering what help is available

Karen7788

My brother received £50 from our local council. It may be worth looking on your own local council website to see how they are processing the Household Support Fund. 

happyfella

Karen7788 said:

My brother received £50 from our local council. It may be worth looking on your own local council website to see how they are processing the Household Support Fund. 

Thank you

racyguy

happyfella said:

i keep seeing articles in the paper about help for energy bills but when you look online it is hard to find them.

Not a lot when considering what the increases have been so far this year as well as the October increase.
In my case, we are both very near to 80 and so far we will get the £66.66 for the winter six months and £150 for both being disabled.
Our monthly cost for both gas and electricity combined up to this month was £102, then it went up this month to £220 (£2500 pa) and from October it is going to be £375 a month (£4500 - £2500 x 180%). I suppose the £66.66 will help to bring it down to £4100 pa!
I really do wonder where they get their average of £3500 from - there must be a lot of people paying well under that figure.

leeCal

@racyguy Have you forgotten the £500 winter fuel payment?

(£100 each plus £300)

Tori_Scope

In terms of what Scope have been doing @happyfella, our campaigns and policy teams have been raising awareness of how the rise in energy bills will affect disabled people, and are looking to ensure that disabled people and their families receive the support they need. 

We also have a Disability Energy Support service, who can offer free energy and water advice to disabled people.

You can find some information and advice regarding getting help with your energy bills on our website, too

littleacorn

My wife works just above min wage. I get PIP which pays for my motability car. In the winter I sit in the house very cold and too worried to put the heating on. Other than the £150 help is there anyother financial help available?

poppy123456

littleacorn said:

My wife works just above min wage. I get PIP which pays for my motability car. In the winter I sit in the house very cold and too worried to put the heating on. Other than the £150 help is there anyother financial help available?

£400 for your energy account, paid over 6 months of around £66/month from Oct-March. Who knows whether the Government will announce any further help, we'll just have to wait and see.

If PIP is the only other benefit you're claiming the no, no other help.

poppy123456

woodbine said:

poppy123456 said:

littleacorn said:

My wife works just above min wage. I get PIP which pays for my motability car. In the winter I sit in the house very cold and too worried to put the heating on. Other than the £150 help is there anyother financial help available?

£400 for your energy account, paid over 6 months of around £66/month from Oct-March. Who knows whether the Government will announce any further help, we'll just have to wait and see.

If PIP is the only other benefit you're claiming the no, no other help.

There will be a £150 one off payment to those claiming PIP mid September.

Yes but littlecorn did say "apart from the £150." Which was why i didn't include it. 

racyguy

leeCal said:

@racyguy Have you forgotten the £500 winter fuel payment?

(£100 each plus £300)

Yes we will get 2x£250 WFP
But as this does not go to the fuel provider it, like in previous years, goes toward extra food for the winter months. We will not be able to survive on toast and tea for breakfast then a small ready meal in the evening. At the moment we can no longer afford to have lunch. I will buy in 15 Ensure drinks lasting 2 weeks.
The rest will go to EON to pay off a fuel debt of £300.

happyfella

racyguy said:

happyfella said:

i keep seeing articles in the paper about help for energy bills but when you look online it is hard to find them.

Not a lot when considering what the increases have been so far this year as well as the October increase.
In my case, we are both very near to 80 and so far we will get the £66.66 for the winter six months and £150 for both being disabled.
Our monthly cost for both gas and electricity combined up to this month was £102, then it went up this month to £220 (£2500 pa) and from October it is going to be £375 a month (£4500 - £2500 x 180%). I suppose the £66.66 will help to bring it down to £4100 pa!
I really do wonder where they get their average of £3500 from - there must be a lot of people paying well under that figure.

how do you apply for the winter fuel payment. and how are you getting the £66.66 or is that coming soon. We have not had our gas on. The only thing we have is the combi boiler on and obviously we use the gas for the shower and hot back. Was shocked that out bill for two months when not using the gas was £160. God knows what it will be in the winter. it does scare me. Not sure we are going to survive in the winter. Something will have to give

poppy123456

happyfella said:

how do you apply for the winter fuel payment. and how are you getting the £66.66 or is that coming soon. We have not had our gas on. The only thing we have is the combi boiler on and obviously we use the gas for the shower and hot back. Was shocked that out bill for two months when not using the gas was £160. God knows what it will be in the winter. it does scare me. Not sure we are going to survive in the winter. Something will have to give

You don’t need to apply for the winter fuel payment but you need to have been state pension age during the qualifying week which is 19th-25th Sept 2022. https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-much-youll-get

The £400 energy grant will be paid for 6 months between Oct-March at £66/month and it will be paid onto your energy account. Your DD will be reduced by that amount per month.

That has bill is huge! My energy bills are monthly too and for June/July/August my total bill was £33 and it was between £10 and £12 for each month. I have a combi boiler which was newly installed in 2019. 

happyfella

poppy123456 said:

happyfella said:

how do you apply for the winter fuel payment. and how are you getting the £66.66 or is that coming soon. We have not had our gas on. The only thing we have is the combi boiler on and obviously we use the gas for the shower and hot back. Was shocked that out bill for two months when not using the gas was £160. God knows what it will be in the winter. it does scare me. Not sure we are going to survive in the winter. Something will have to give

You don’t need to apply for the winter fuel payment but you need to have been state pension age during the qualifying week which is 19th-25th Sept 2022. https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-much-youll-get

The £400 energy grant will be paid for 6 months between Oct-March at £66/month and it will be paid onto your energy account. Your DD will be reduced by that amount per month.

That has bill is huge! My energy bills are monthly too and for June/July/August my total bill was £33 and it was between £10 and £12 for each month. I have a combi boiler which was newly installed in 2019. 

The energy bills are in my name but my wife is of state pension age, what should i do? It is very worrying about the energy bills. We are already making cut backs like missing meals. We are thinking of selling our house next year and renting as we cannot think of another way of getting through this

bg844

We will have to see what further help Boris Johnson or the new PM will announce. I think the package of measures are generous but not enough now we know the new cap.

leeCal

@happyfella I am of state pension age but my partner isn’t, I will therefore receive £200 winter fuel payment plus the additional amount the government is paying this year of £300 making a total winter fuel payment of £500. This should be paid in November 2022.
Hope this helps.