A consumer expert has explained what people need to do to get some vital help this winter to pay their power bills. Speaking on BBC Morning Live today, Lisa Webb from consumer group Which? said there were a number of ways people could automatically get money taken off their bills.
And as we’re in a cold spell with temperatures said to be plunging to as low as -16C people feeling like they can afford to turn the heating on is vital. Last year the Labour chancellor Rachel Reeves axed the winter fuel payment, worth around £2-300 for 10 million pensioners. Only those poorest who claim Pensions Credit will receive the money – meaning many just about the threshold who are among the poorest in the country will be left wondering how to heat their homes.
Ms Webb said that people might be able to get a £150 boost from warm home discount. She explained: “Warm home discount, is a one-off £150 payment off your electricity bill, it’s done automatically if you’re eligible.
“Now it’s off your electricity bill, but if you’ve got your electricity and gas supplier as the same company, you might be able to get it off your gas bill, so do talk to your supplier. To qualify in England and Wales, you have to get your guarantee credit element of pension credit and be on a low income and have high energy costs.
“In Scotland, it’s the same, but you also have to meet your energy supplier’s criteria, so do speak to your energy supplier about it. It’ll be immediately deducted off your bill, so that isn’t £150 that goes into your bank account, it just goes off your bill and it’s sorted.”
There is another way people can get help, BBC Morning Live viewers heard, is the cold weather payment which is £25 a time. Ms Webb explained: “Those are payments that come from the government, and it’s if the temperature in your area averages below 0 for 7 consecutive days, It’s £25 you’ll get for every 7 days where the average temperatures below 0.”
She explained how it is open to people who are claiming certain benefits like pension credit, income support, Job Seeker’s allowance and she advised to visit the government website here. The last one is of course the winter fuel payment – for the which the eligibility has been drastically reduced.
Ms Webb said: “So it’s now means tested, which means that not everyone that was getting it is getting it now. Those of you who do qualify for it, you should have already had a letter in the post telling you that you qualify. If you haven’t had it, do check the government website to see how you can ask for it. You have to make your claim before the 31st of March. Most people will have had that already, so they will have had the money through November or December, but if you haven’t you’ve got until the 29th of January to put in your application.”
She explained people need to contact the Winter fuel Pay Centre, again through the Gov website here. But she warned: “Don’t fall for any of the dodgy other links that you might find on Google, make sure it’s the government website you’re going to there.”