Financial support on offer to households after rises in energy bills

Households across North Yorkshire are being urged to check if they are eligible to apply for financial support towards their energy bills amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) is offering a £400 payment for households which did not receive the original help to pay for the cost of energy, such as those without their own electricity meter or without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier.

This includes people who live in care homes or park homes, and tenants who pay for energy through a landlord on a commercial supply. It also covers homes on a private electricity network, off-grid households and farmhouses used for domestic purposes.  

Households that do not use mains gas and use an alternative fuel such as oil, biomass and bottled gas may also be eligible for an additional £200 Alternative Fuel Payment (ATP).

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr David Chance, said: “We are urging residents to check if they’re eligible for this latest much-needed offer of financial help amid the cost-of-living crisis.

“The alternative funding package aims to help households which were not eligible for the original support scheme, and it only takes a few minutes to complete the online form.

“This is just one of the initiatives the county council is promoting including Warm and Well North Yorkshire and the council tax reduction scheme. They all aim to help or advise if you are struggling to pay for essentials.”

Electricity prices in the UK rose by 66.7 per cent and gas prices by 129.4 per cent in the 12 months to January this year, according to the Office of National Statistics, and were some of the main factors for the major increases in inflation, which has reached the highest levels for more than 40 years. 

The deadline for applications for both sets of funding is May 31. The support is being delivered by local authorities and successful applicants will start receiving payments from April 11.

Residents who are eligible will need to fill out a short online form which can be found by searching ‘Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically’ into the search bar on GOV.UK or an online search engine. You will never be asked to apply by email or text or sent a link to follow.

A helpline is also available for anybody who needs support to complete an application or cannot apply online. The freephone number, 0808 175 3287, is open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

For more details of support available during the cost-of-living crisis, visit North Yorkshire County Council’s website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/cost-living-support