Which? published a press statement on 18 November 2022 responding to figures showing that a third of traditional prepayment customers have not yet claimed government energy support1. The consumer body said hundreds of thousands of customers on traditional prepayment meters have not yet claimed the support available to them1.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said the problem affected customers who are more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes1. Under the Energy Bill Support Scheme, customers on traditional prepayment meters receive the discount in monthly instalments from October 2022 to March 2023, delivered either as redeemable vouchers sent by SMS text, email or post, or as an automatic credit when they top up at a top-up point1.
"Energy firms and the government must work with others - such as top-up outlets - to understand why so many Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers have not yet been redeemed"
Which? also called for traditional prepayment meter customers to be prioritised in smart meter roll-outs where appropriate, so that financial support can be delivered automatically in future1. The organisation said it had recently launched a campaign calling on businesses in essential sectors, including supermarkets, telecoms and energy, to do more to help customers through the cost of living crisis1.
The statement did not give a figure for the number of unredeemed vouchers, beyond describing them as hundreds of thousands1. No breakdown by supplier, nation or outlet type was reported1.
Why it matters for households
For a household on a traditional prepayment meter, the discount does not arrive on its own. It depends on a voucher reaching the customer and the customer redeeming it, or on a credit landing when they next top up1. Where a voucher is not redeemed, the money is not in the meter, and the household continues to pay for each unit of energy at the point of top-up. That leaves the home's energy position dependent on a step the household has to complete, rather than on an automatic credit.
Which? frames the affected group as more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes1, which is the group least able to absorb a delay. The practical difference between a voucher and an automatic credit is the difference between support that requires action and support that arrives regardless. Which? links that gap to the smart meter roll-out, arguing that automatic delivery in future depends on those customers being prioritised where appropriate1.
The statement also points to top-up outlets as a place where the reason for non-redemption might be found1. For households using prepayment and pay as you go tariffs, the outlet is the point of contact with the scheme, and it is where a voucher either becomes credit or does not.
What happens next
Which? said customers on traditional prepayment meters who have not received their vouchers, or are unsure how to redeem them, should contact their supplier for more information and to make sure the supplier holds correct contact details1. The instalment period for the scheme runs to March 20231. No deadline for redeeming vouchers, and no response from energy firms or the government, has been reported1.