The Fuel Bank Foundation issued advice on 16 November 2022 to prepayment energy meter customers who had not yet received or redeemed their first Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) voucher1. The charity acted after redemption figures from two voucher processors showed that a large share of the support had not been claimed1.
According to figures from the Post Office, the UK's biggest voucher processor, only 60 per cent of those eligible had claimed the support1. PayPoint reported that of the 800,000 vouchers it expected to process in October, worth a total £52.8 million, only £27 million had been redeemed1.
The Foundation set out how the scheme works for this group. Direct Debit customers receive the EBSS payment automatically into their bank account, while prepaid meter customers must redeem a voucher to receive the discount1. Vouchers are issued by text message, email or post in the first week of each month, and can be used at local PayPoint and PayZone shops or the Post Office, depending on the energy supplier1.
Matthew Cole, Head of Fuel Bank Foundation, said:
"We are concerned by the high number of people who have yet to redeem the EBSS voucher and would urge anyone who hasn't done so to firstly check they have received it and secondly to redeem it as soon as possible."
He added that customers who had not received a voucher should contact their energy supplier to check their contact details were correct, and that those who had opted for email delivery should check their spam folder1.
| Voucher processor | Reported position, October 2022 |
|---|---|
| Post Office | 60 per cent of those eligible had claimed the support1 |
| PayPoint | £27 million redeemed of 800,000 vouchers expected, worth £52.8 million1 |
Why it matters for households
For homes on a prepayment meter, the Energy Bill Support Scheme discount does not arrive on its own. It depends on a voucher being received and then redeemed at a shop or Post Office counter, so a missed text, an email filtered into a spam folder or out of date contact details can leave the support unclaimed even though the household is entitled to it1. The Foundation stated that prepayment meter customers are entitled to help through the EBSS on the same basis as Direct Debit customers1.
The gap between the value of vouchers issued and the value redeemed is money that has not reached prepayment households, which are often among the most exposed to rising unit costs because they pay for energy in advance. The Foundation also stated that any missed payments from October and November should be backdated and paid1. Households carrying energy debt on a meter face separate arrangements, covered in our guide to repaying energy debt through a prepayment meter, and the Fuel Bank Foundation itself provides emergency fuel vouchers.
What happens next
Vouchers are issued in the first week of each month, so a further round was due in December 20221. The Foundation stated that missed payments from October and November should be backdated and paid to the customer1. No further dates or figures for later months have been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- Energy Bill Support Scheme Advice for Prepayment Meter Customers | Fuel Bank Foundation, fuelbankfoundation.org