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Asylum seekers in Home Office’s accommodation

  • April 4, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 80 views
E
Rank 1

I understand that the Home Office provides accommodation and support to destitute asylum seekers in the UK under Section 95 (long-term) or Section 98 (initial) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

I understand that in practice accommodation is contracted to private firms (Mears Group, Serco, Clearsprings) and is provided on a "no-choice" basis. I understand that “long-term” accommodation must be houses or flats including HMOs as opposed to hotels which are intended to be short-term accommodation solutions.

What I do not understand is:

  1. Would OVO energy know if a given address they supply energy to is Home Office’s accommodation?
  2. Google tells me that destitute asylum seekers supported by the Home Office are generally not liable for energy charges. If they are not liable, who is? The Home Office? The Housing Provider (i.e. Serco, Mears, Clearsprings)?
  3. What happens if the energy at an address that is supplied by OVO goes unpaid? Who does OVO try to get the money from first? The Home Office? The Housing Provider? The destitute asylum seekers?

    3 replies

    Blastoise186
    Super User
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    • Blastoise186Super User
    • Super User
    • April 4, 2026

    Howdy ​@ExistingOVOCustomer ,

    The OVO Forum is currently on limited service due to the Easter Break. Please bear with us

    This sounds like pretty deep policy stuff that I’m afraid a Forum Volunteer like myself will struggle with. I’ll ask ​@Chris_OVO to swing by but please hang in there as this may take a while to answer. It’s likely to take us longer than usual to get an answer as OVO’s offices are closed for Easter until at least Tuesday.

    Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
    D
    Rank 2
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    • DavidWSR
    • Rank 2
    • April 4, 2026

    OVO may not know the status of people residing in a property. However, the electric and/or gas meter will be registered to someone. That is likely to be the housing provider in multiple occupied accomadation. Where there are individual flats they would likely have their own meters registered to the tenants or owner/occupiers. OVO would go after whoever the meter is registered to for any arrears that may build up taking legal action if required.

    Nukecad
    Super User
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    • NukecadSuper User
    • Super User
    • April 5, 2026

     

    1. Would OVO energy know if a given address they supply energy to is Home Office’s accommodation?
    2. Google tells me that destitute asylum seekers supported by the Home Office are generally not liable for energy charges. If they are not liable, who is? The Home Office? The Housing Provider (i.e. Serco, Mears, Clearsprings)?
    3. What happens if the energy at an address that is supplied by OVO goes unpaid? Who does OVO try to get the money from first? The Home Office? The Housing Provider? The destitute asylum seekers?
    1. No, OVO would only know who has set up an energy supply account with OVO.
      Under Home Office rules that is meant to be the asylum Housing Provider*
    2. Asylum seekers in Home Office provided accommodation should not be liable for energy costs, the Housing Provider should pay for energy used.**
      You have to assume that cost is passed on to the Home Office, either directly or indirectly.
    3. Whoever’s name, individual or comapny, is on the energy supply account is the one that would be chased for any arrears.

    *OVO only supply domestic accounts not business accounts, could any such asylum accomodation providing company even open an account with OVO?
    I suppose that they could if it’s one account for each property, and each one is billed seperately to the company name/address.

    **Although under Home Office rules the Housing Provider should pay for energy used at the asylum property, there are numerous reports of Pre-payment meters being fitted in such asylum accommodation.
    Meaning that although the supply account is in the Accommodation Providers name the asylum seeker still has to somehow find money to top-up the meter(s) if they want to use any energy.

    I would think that this question may be better asked as a Freedom of Information request to the Home Office.
    If you would like to go that route then start here:
    https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/home_office
    There is guidence on that site about how to make sucessful FoI requests, eg. Remember that you should phrase it as a request for information rather than as a question.
    (I’ve done many FoI’s using ‘whatdotheyknow’, mainly to the DWP, it can be an interesting if at times frustrating game getting the information that you ask for)

    I said, Hey - Watts going on.
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