Changes to the 2022/2023 Warm Home Discount scheme will see the payment increased from £140 to £150. The Guaranteed Pension Credit automatic payment group has been renamed ‘Core Group 1’. The biggest changes are to the ‘Broader Group’ (now renamed ‘Core Group 2’) and the previous application process removed and replaced instead by an automatic payment.

The scheme for ‘core group 2’ opens on 14 November 2022. If you are eligible you will receive a letter between November 2022 and January 2023 telling you about the discount. You may be asked to ring a helpline if extra information is needed. More details about the scheme can be found at www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Customers are eligible for Core Group 2 if they are on low income and have high energy costs. Customers are considered low income under the criteria if they are in receipt of the benefits or Tax Credits listed below:

• Income related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support 
• Housing Benefit  
• Universal Credit (without max income level)   
• Child Tax Credits (max qualifying income level TBC)
• Working Tax Credits (max qualifying income level TBC)
• Pension Credit Savings Credit

As in previous years payments will be credited to energy billing accounts and be sent directly to smart prepayment meters. Traditional prepayment customers will still receive a top-up voucher. All payments will be made before 31^st March 2023.

Energy providers participating in the 20222/23 scheme are:

• British Gas
• Bulb Energy
• E (Gas and Electricity)
• E.ON
• Ecotricity
• EDF Energy
• ESB Energy
• Outfox the Market
• Good Energy
• Octopus Energy
• OVO Energy
• Scottish Power
• Shell Energy
• Utility Warehouse
• Utilita

Energy Performance Certificates are not used by the government to verify eligibility for the Warm Home Discount Scheme. EPC data is only required for online pre-eligibility check purposes. Confirmation letters will be sent to eligible households by end January 2023.

Full information can be found here

Available to you if you are of pensionable age, have a disability, have young children, hearing or visual impairment or have a short- or long-term health issue. Suppliers can provide extra support such as large print documents, provide meter readers if you are unable to access them and work with the network distributers to prioritise your property if there is a power cut or gas issue. If you are on the register some suppliers will also have a separate telephone line if you need to contact them.  Next time you contact your supplier tell them about your circumstances and they will add you to the Priority Service Register. 

All the big energy firms have charitable trusts and funds that can help if you're in debt and struggling to repay. They offer schemes and grants to help with your energy costs and energy debt 

• British Gas Energy Trust (open to customers of all suppliers)  
• EDF Energy Support Fund 

• EON Energy Trust Fund 
• EON Next Energy Fund 
• Ovo Energy Fund 
• Octo Assist Fund 
• Scottish Power Hardship fund  

Anyone can apply to them if they are in financial hardship and struggling to pay back arrears on their gas and electric. Once the application is complete it is reviewed by the trust board and if successful the applicant may be awarded part on full payment towards their arrears. All applications are based on an individual basis. 

If you are interested and require support to apply for a trust fund, please contact us to arrange a home visit on 0161 474 4062 or email energy.advice@stockporthomes.org 

If there's someone aged 66 or older in the home, you could get up to £300 with the winter fuel payment 

Every household with someone born on or before 26 September 1955 is entitled to help towards their winter energy costs. Under the Government's winter fuel payment scheme, provided you lived in the UK for at least one day between 20 and 26 September 2021, then regardless of income, you can grab a one-of, tax-free winter fuel payment of between £100 and £300. 

It should have been paid automatically by the end of December. If not, check full eligibility on the government website or contact the Winter fuel payment centre on 0800 731 0160. 

If you're a Stockport resident, you can apply for Support Funds to: 

• help you when you're at your most vulnerable 
• provide you with a safety net in an emergency, when there's an immediate threat to your health or safety 

• support you to live independently in your own home 
• link you to other services that will help and support you 
• make sure that support is joined up 
• give more flexibility about how we meet the needs of Stockport residents 

Stockport Council will assess your application and work with you to support your needs. Visit their website for more information and the application form 

Additional support 

If you’re struggling financially and want some free, independent and confidential advice around helping you manage your money, you can contact any of the following: 

• Stockport Homes Money Advice Team on 0161 217 6016 or email moneyadvice@stockporthomes.org 
• StepChange Debt Charity on free phone 0800 138 1111 or visit www.stepchange.org 
• National Debtline on free phone 0808 808 4000 or visit www.nationaldebtline.org  

• Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/energy 

• The £67 Energy Bill Support Scheme payments will end on 1^st April 2023
• The planned April 2023 increase to the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will no longer go ahead. Instead the EPG will remain at £2500 for a typical household on a standard energy tariff until 30^th June 2023
• The government subsidised discount will keep prices below the current Ofgem Energy Price Cap saving a typical household around £780 per year.

*More information about the EPG can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support/energy-bills-support-factsheet-8-september-2022

Cost of Living Payments

• The next set of cost of living payments will start being paid to low income households from 25^th April until 17^th May 2023.
• The first payment will be for £301 followed by a further payment of £300 later in 2023 and a further £299 in early 2024.
• an additional £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment will be paid automatically between 20 June 2023 and 4 July 2023.

*Please visit www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payments-2023-to-2024 for more information about payments and details on eligibility

Contacting your energy provider is often the quickest route to getting extra emergency credit – especially if you are already off supply or at risk of going off supply. Most providers have a policy to offer an amount of discretionary credit that is usually enough to last you until you are next in a position to top-up. If you are a smart prepayment meter then there may be a facility on your suppliers’ smartphone app to request extra credit remotely.

Each supplier operates a customer service helpline and often an online webchat facility that can be accessed via their website. Sometimes they can be contacted via social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Below is a list of the main energy suppliers’ contact phone numbers and links to their online help and support:

Boost – 0330 102 7517 - https://www.boostpower.co.uk/customer-support-package

British Gas – 0333 202 9802  https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/breakdowns/if-you-dont-have-gas-or-electricity-but-have-a-pay-as-you-go-meter

EDF – 0333 200 5100 - https://www.edfenergy.com/help-support/pay-as-you-go

E Energy – 0333 103 9575 - https://www.e.org/help

Eon Next – 0808 501 5200 - https://www.eonnext.com/help/spayg

Octopus Energy – 0808 164 1088 - https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/

OVO/SSE – 0330 303 5063 - https://help.ovoenergy.com/categories?c=pay_as_you_go

Scottish Power – 0345 270 0700 - https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/getintouch

Shell Energy – 0330 094 5800 - https://help.shellenergy.co.uk/hc/en-us/sections/360002309917-Understanding-Prepayment-meters

SSE (see OVO)

Utilita – 0345 207 2000 - https://utilita.co.uk/help

Utility Warehouse – 0333 777 0777 - https://help.uw.co.uk/category/energy