Are you getting all the help you can for energy bills?

The cost of energy bills this winter is very worrying for many, many people - and especially for those with higher energy use.  You can find below details of the payments available which are designed to help you with your energy bills. But is a complex area so if you are struggling, please contact our partner Act on Energy for full advice and support. You can call them for free on 0800 988 2881.

The Energy Bills Support scheme is now underway and people should have received their first monthly payment; this is a part payment in the £400 grant that the government has committed for everyone with an electricity meter.

How you receive the money will depend on your supplier and what type of electricity account you have (for example if you pay by Direct debit or a prepayment meter). If you haven't received your payment, follow up as soon as possible with your electricity supplier.

Be very aware of scams though - your electricity supplier is arranging the payment and you will never be asked for bank details. If you're unsure, contact your electricity supplier - the contact details will be on your electricity bill.

The £400 grant which you don't need to repay, is in addition to the wider package of help for people on certain means-tested benefits (often referred to as the £650 benefit payment). The second part of this payment is in November. Contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you think you should have received this payment.

The Winter Fuel Payment is also payable to UK households with someone over the state pension age. You can find out more here: www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

If you are of pension age, you may also be getting the Warm Home Discount. The Discount is available from the larger energy suppliers to help those with vulnerabilities pay their energy bills over the winter. The money is now paid automatically if you fit the criteria.   Contact your supplier if you think you should be included and be scam aware.

The Energy Price Guarantee was brought in on 1 October to help with energy costs.  The £2,500 'cap' is not a cap on total bills; that figure is based on a typical user - so the more you use - the more you pay. The Guarantee puts limits on unit rates so your final bill will still be determined by the amount of energy you use.  When the scheme was announced, it was due to run for two years. But changes announced in the last couple of weeks mean that the Energy Price Guarantee will now run until April 2023 - and what happens after April is currently under review.