Sign up to get the latest on Government energy bills support scheme alternative funding
Applications to the Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme – Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) are due to open in the next few weeks, bringing more much needed help to many Shropshire residents.
The scheme means that households who didn’t receive the original energy bills support, such as those without their own electricity meter or without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, can receive a £400 support payment.
This might include people who live in care homes or park homes, residents of caravans and houseboats, as well as some private tenants. There are lots of circumstances that might have led you to miss the original Energy Bills Support Scheme. The updated package aims to get the right support to everybody who needs it.
If you don’t heat your home with mains gas and use an alternative fuel which could include oil, biomass and bottled gas, you might also be able to get an additional £200 payment, known as the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP).
If you want email updates as more information is available, such as when applications open and how to access them, sign up now to our cost-of-living mailing list.
You will be able to apply through a gov.uk portal, but there will also be a Government helpline available.
Most households eligible for this further payment will receive it automatically through their electricity supplier. If you don’t have any relationship with an energy provider, a separate Government application portal is also due to open in the coming weeks.
Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for finance and corporate resources, said:-
We are aware that there are many households in Shropshire who are yet to receive help with the cost of their energy, particularly in more rural areas of the county. Shropshire Council welcomes news that support is on the way for these people, and we know that this will be relief to many. We will share more information as it becomes available so that everybody in our community receives the help that they are eligible for.
