Housing providers call for heat help

Today we joined 33 leading housing associations to call on the Government to reopen the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding. We believe this would help to protect hundreds of thousands of people struggling with their energy bills this winter.

An estimated 750,000 households missed out on the £400 support for energy bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. That’s the equivalent of four in every five eligible households and £300 million of money that households including care homes were entitled to.

We’re asking the Government to make three changes to protect those most in need:

1. Provide more targeted support through the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Energy Bills Discount Scheme for winter 2023-2024 for those on low incomes and the 1.7 million households living in fuel poverty and not registered for benefits.
2. Expand eligibility for the Warm Homes Discount to include households on heat networks and without a direct relationship with an electricity supplier this winter.
3. Extend the application deadline for Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding from 31 May to 31 December 2023.