WILL THERE BE ANY MORE £67 ENERGY PAYMENTS IN 2023?

The government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) was a lifeline for many last winter as the cost of living crisis continues.

From October 2022 onwards, millions of eligible English, Scottish and Welsh households received £400 off their energy bills, split in six monthly instalments of £66 or £67.

However, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end – including this helping hand.

But when did it expire, and will it be replaced by anything?

When did the £67 energy payment stop?

The Energy Bills Support Scheme came to an end on Friday, March 31.

Many households will had been receiving the discount automatically, with the money coming directly off their energy bills.

People who use traditional prepayment meters and top up their credit before using energy should have been provided with discount vouchers in the first week of each month.

You can find out more about how the scheme has been delivered to households here.

Will there be any more £67 energy payments in 2023?

At this moment in time, there have been no talks of continuing the scheme.

Is anything replacing the Energy Bills Support Scheme?

While EBSS has come to an end, the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund (EBSS AF) has been announced.

This scheme targets around 900,000 households in England, Scotland and Wales who didn’t receive EBSS discounts automatically this winter, and offers them a one-off £400 payment.

Only people in certain types of housing situations are eligible, with more details on who can get it available at gov.uk.

You do also need to apply for this one, whereas the EBSS scheme didn’t require an application. There is also an application deadline of May 31 to be aware of, so don’t delay.

There’s also a £200 discount for people who power their homes with alternative fuels, called the Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP).

Most eligible people should get it automatically, but if you think you might need to apply, find out more about eligibility here.

Another scheme has also been introduced, but designed to help UK businesses, charities and the public sector.

The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme began on April 1, 2023 – allowing all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users to receive a discount on high energy bills until March 31, 2024.

Discounts will vary dependent on the type of business, and this balance will not need to be paid back.

There is also no need to apply for the scheme as suppliers will automatically apply reductions to the bills of all eligible non-domestic customers. Further details on the scheme are available on gov.uk.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the government has extended the Energy Price Guarantee – which limits what you can pay per unit of energy – until June 2023. It is currently at around £2,500 for a ‘typical’ dual fuel household’s annual bill in Great Britain.

You can find out more about the Energy Price Guarantee and what it means for you here.

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