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How will the Governments Alternative Fuel Payment be made?

  • 13 October 2022
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Firedog
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On this page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support/energy-bills-support-factsheet-8-september-2022, we can read that 

If you do not use mains gas for your heating

The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) will provide a one-off payment to UK households that use alternative fuels for heating, such as heating oil or LPG, instead of mains gas. This £100 payment will ensure that all households who do not benefit through the Energy Price Guarantee to heat their homes, receive support for the cost of the fuel they do use.

Households eligible for these payments will receive £100 as a credit on their electricity bill this winter.


Can OVO confirm that my electricity account will be credited with a £100 AFP at some stage, and could they also say when I might expect to see it?

My house does have a night storage heater, but because it’s so expensive and inefficient, I use a wood-burning stove for heating. 

 

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Best answer by Emmanuelle_OVO 13 October 2022, 14:59

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Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA

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Blastoise186
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I don’t think you’ll get AFP for electric storage heaters. It’s mostly for solid fuels, oil or LPG if memory serves.

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Firedog
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  1. If you do not use mains gas for your heating …
  2. My house does have a night storage heater, but because it’s so expensive and inefficient, I use a wood-burning stove for heating. 

Isn’t that fairly unequivocal? I don’t use mains gas, because there isn’t any, so I use an alternative fuel - wood - for heating. 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @Firedog,

 

I’ll try and find out a bit more information about this topic and get back to you on this thread. 

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Emmanuelle_OVO
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Updated on 21/06/23 by Abby_OVO

 

For information on the Alternative Fuel Payments for the coming year, we’ll update this as soon as we have more information available.

 

*Best answer taken from a similar thread* 

 

Government Payment for Alternative Fuels (like heating oil)

 

 

The Government has now confirmed details about how the ‘Alternative Fuel’ payments (AFP) will be made. This includes households without a direct relationship to an energy supplier. 

 

Information taken from the GOV website where you can find the latest updates on this topic

 

We have now received the supply numbers (MPANs) of eligible customers from The Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and will be issuing a communication to these customers as soon as possible to inform them that they will receive the Alternative Fuel Payments (AFP) support.

 

AFP support will be issued as per the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) payments, so by either a payment to the customer's bank account, if paid by direct debit or as credit added to their energy account if they pay on demand.

 

For PAYG customers credit will be added directly to the customer's smart prepayment meter; or a cash voucher issued if it’s a traditional meter. We intend on adding a note to OVO customer accounts to make it clear that they have been deemed as eligible by BEIS. So if you don’t receive a communication from us, Support should be able to advise if you have been deemed eligible or not. 

 

We’re planning to start making these payments from 13 February, if you’re looking for more information on the AFP or on wider ‘Help For Households’ support schemes, can find this here. 

 

 

Think you are eligible for the AFP but didn’t receive it? 

 

You can apply on the GOV website here. 

 

If you cannot apply online, call the helpline:

 

Telephone: 0808 175 3287
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges

 

Energy bills support in England, Scotland and Wales will be via ‘EBSS Alternative Funding’ and ‘Alternative Fuel Payments’

 

  • People in England, Scotland and Wales without a direct relationship to a domestic energy supplier, will receive a £400 discount on their fuel bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS Alternative Funding).
  • The government is also providing a further £200 Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) to help those households in England, Scotland and Wales who use alternative fuels such as biomass or heating oil to heat their homes this winter. Most households eligible for the AFP support in UK, will receive the payment automatically via their electricity supplier in February, with no need to take any action.
  • However, households who will need to apply for the AFP, for example because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, will be able to do so in February, through the same GOV.UK portal as the one that will be used to apply for support under the EBSS Alternative Funding scheme.

 

“Online applications will open in January for households in England, Scotland and Wales who are eligible for the £400 EBSS Alternative Funding to submit their details, alongside a helpline for those without online access. Payments to households that meet the eligibility criteria – including people who get their energy through a commercial contract or who are off-grid – will be made by local authorities in Great Britain. This is likely to include:

 

  • care home residents
  • residents of park homes
  • tenants in certain private and social rented homes
  • homes supplied via private wires
  • residents of caravans and houseboats on registered sites
  • farmers living in domestic farmhouses
  • off-grid households”

 

*This thread will be updated when the application forms open*

 

Additional support is available for customers who may be struggling with their bills:

 

Customer support package and where to apply. 

Warm Home Discount

What to do if I can’t afford my energy bills? 

Energy Bills Support Scheme

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Firedog
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I'm not sure if a wood fired stove would be included. 

 

I disagree with you on that; the only criterion in the text is  “UK households who are not on the mains gas grid” and therefore not benefitting from the lower gas price resulting from the EPG. Since the AFP will be delivered via the electricity bill, you should hear about it before us, so I look forward to your update here in due course 😉

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
Blastoise186
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I think that might be pushing the definition a bit far out.

I’m not on the gas grid myself and I’m fully electric only with underfloor heating. BUT receiving regular EBSS and AFP would result in me double-dipping the scheme which isn’t allowed.

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Jeffus
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There is a bit of info here about why it is coming via electricity bills, but nothing more on the eligibility criteria

https://ukifda.org/statement-ukifda-notes-the-governments-announcement-regarding-the-100-fixed-payment-to-heating-oil-users/

So depends on whether the government wants to keep it very simple and simply give the £100 to anyone who hasn't got a mains gas meter or wants to develop something more complex (e.g.  self certification use of specific fuels, use information from fuel suppliers etc) 

What is certain at the moment is that it doesn't explicitly say anything about log burners either way

Probably worth keeping an eye on the ukifda website for any further info they publish? 

I haven't looked closely at the Energy Price Guarantee. Did the government give a bigger discount off gas than electricity based on the ofgem october price cap? 

 

N
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My lpg supplier says that my electricity supplier (ovo) will be passing on the government support for off grid fuel, I.e. lpg. Do I have to register with ovo my use of lpg? I do not gave access to mains gas.

Jeffus
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Unfortunately further details are yet to be announced by the government. The government did say it will be doubled to £200 but haven't yet updated their content.

This is basically all there is so far

 

Alternative Fuel Payments (domestic)

This scheme is intended to deliver a one-off payment of £100 to UK households who are not on the mains gas grid and therefore use alternative fuels, such as heating oil, to heat their homes. Powers will enable the government to deliver support via electricity bills in both GB and NI, under a similar delivery model to the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The payment will ensure that a typical customer using heating oil does not face a higher rate of growth in their heating costs since last winter, in comparison to those using mains gas who are supported by the Energy Price Guarantee. The government will set out the timing of this payment soon.

Firedog
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It seems that there has been no further official announcement about this yet, unless you accept the words of a ‘government spokesman’ to Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert. This is the quotation, dated 8 December:
  

We recognise people are struggling with the rising cost of living, including those who use heating oil and fuels other than gas to warm their homes. That is why we have increased the alternative fuel payment (AFP) to £200 and are committed to delivering this to customers as soon as possible.

...

The vast majority of alternative fuel payments eligible households in Great Britain will receive payment automatically via their electricity supplier with no need to take any action, and this payment will be made as soon as possible in the New Year.

  
£200 alternative fuel payment to be paid 'in the New Year' (moneysavingexpert.com)

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
P
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Here’s the announcement on the Alternative Fuels Payment. 

Vital help with energy bills on the way for millions more homes across Great Britain and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What should your customers do to advise you that they use an alternative heating fuel like oil, lpg and biomass please?

 

juliamc
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Good question @Palmate 

It says ‘The vast majority of households eligible for the Alternative Fuel Payment scheme in Great Britain will receive payment automatically via their electricity supplier with no need to take any action’ but how do they know ?

Firedog
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Good question @Palmate 

... how do they know ?

 

The only criterion is not being on the gas grid. The thinking behind the payment is, I understand, that while the government is pumping millions into subsidies for gas guzzlers, it would be unfair not to spread the warmth equitably.

I’m sure the energy companies have access to a database showing which properties are able to access gas, so that would be one approach. Whether those who have access but choose not to connect should be excluded is undoubtedly causing some head scratching, but the simple presence or absence of a gas meter is probably not a good enough measure.

 

[I suspect there’s a bit of politics involved here. Northern Ireland has few gas users, so the province wouldn’t get much benefit from the EPG subsidy on gas prices. Cries of Unfair! from Belfast and something has to be done. They couldn’t just pump cash into NI oil-heated homes without alternative-fuel users in GB shouting Foul!.]

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
Tim_OVO
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Two topics on this recently. It’s on my list to check and come back here with a update!

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E
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Any news on confirmation about the Alternative Fuel Payment for off grid households please?

Firedog
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Any news on confirmation about the Alternative Fuel Payment for off grid households please?


The application page hasn’t gone live yet, but you might keep an eye on Help with your energy bills - Help for Households looking for a link about EBSS Alternative Funding. The form is supposed to become available this month.

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
L
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I live in Shropshire and got this email from the local Council today.

Energy Update January 2023

Many people in Shropshire are currently awaiting details about the rollout of the Government's Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding / Alternative Fuel Payment.

On Friday, we received an update from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy that the rollout of the scheme was still being finalised, but that more information would be available soon.

We will update subscribers as soon as there are more details, including how and when the funding will be available.

We will also share details on https://newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/ and on social media when the scheme launches. 

 

J
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Is there an update on this AFP?

We have a heat pump which uses electricity to heat our house.  There is no gas in our village, our alternative fuel used to be heating oil until 2 years ago, and now it is electricity.

Some sources say it’s just for no-gas areas, others like Gov.uk are ambiguous and say it’s for people who heat their homes with alternative fuels “like LPG, oil and biomass”, others (eg CAB) say its for “those who don’t use gas or electricity”.  

I have reported our use of a heat pump to OVO, but am beginning to wish I had not as I didn’t have to!  They would probably guess from our increased electricity consumption!

Blastoise186
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Not much yet! It’s still being worked on afaik

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Jeffus
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@jane.ashe

The government has published the eligibility criteria, how customers will be identified and how energy suppliers will be given a list of MPAN to identify and pay customers. 

It was published yesterday. 

The PDF can be downloaded from this page.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-alternative-fuel-payment-afp-scheme-in-great-britain-guidance-for-electricity-suppliers

Payments should start in Feb. 

You are not eligible for the payment if you heat primarily by electricity. I suspect a few will inevitably slip through. So unfortunately you are not eligible with a heat pump. 

OVO should be able to answer more queries on the scheme now. 

@Tim_OVO @Emmanuelle_OVO just flagging in case you haven't seen the document published yesterday. 

 

 

Blastoise186
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Hmm… 58 pages…

I might think about creating an easy read version...

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Jeffus
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Hmm… 58 pages…

I might think about creating an easy read version...

Yep. Some of the process is similar to the Energy Bill Support Scheme so you should be able to reuse some of the content we already have. 

J
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Thanks for the link Jeffus.

BPLightlog
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It seems some high level points are the MPAN registers, payments via one supplier only, the eligibility date of 1st Feb and payment to be made by end of Feb.
There are the usual variations of payment type and payment method but it’s interesting to note that these payments can only be reclaimed by the supplier when the customer has access to their funding .. wonder if this was the same for EBSS

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J
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OVO won't confirm that I'm going to receive this money asked customer service several times and all they do is speil the government website page 

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