Thousands of Utilita customers will be able to get money off their energy bills this winter, following the announcement of a £5million food and fuel poverty relief fund.
People on a low income in Scotland will be among the first to receive support from the charity, with thousands set to get £150 off their electricity bill this winter.
Some £500,000 of the fund has been allocated to Utilita customers who are eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount but won’t get it through no fault of their own.
Approximately 3,100 people in Scotland will benefit from this specific form of support this winter.
Approximately 3,100 people in Scotland will benefit from this specific form of support
PA
In Scotland, people who are eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme via the “broader group”, rather than qualifying by getting the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, will need to apply directly to their energy supplier.
To qualify for the “broader group”, a person’s energy supplier must be part of the scheme, have their or their partner’s name on the electricity bill, and get certain means-tested benefits or tax credits.
The electricity supplier may have extra eligibility criteria.
The electricity supplier will decide who gets the discount in Scotland, and the number of discounts suppliers can give is limited, the Government states.
In the guidance on Gov.uk, it states: “Contact them [the supplier] as early as possible.
“Check with them even if you were eligible for a discount last year.”
However, the new £500,000 has been earmarked for qualifying people who could not get the discount, meaning thousands of people will not have to miss out.
Newly appointed Utilita Giving Executive Director, Helen Boardman, said: “Some households in the coldest parts of Scotland are eligible for Warm Home Discount but have missed out on their £150 helping hand this year due to the lottery of applying and falling outside of the quota."
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The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off discount applied to eligible people’s electricity bills between early October 2023 and March 31, 2024. It may be possible to get the discount on the gas bill instead, by contacting the energy supplier.
Following a change in the rules, people in England and Wales no longer need to apply for the discount, as they will usually get the discount automatically if they are eligible.
If a person is eligible, they should get a letter by early January 2024.
In the event you think you’re eligible but do not receive a letter, you must contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme before February 29, 2024.
There is more information on who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in England and Wales online on the government website.
