Which? said on 20 December 2022 that a third of the Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers sent to traditional prepayment customers have not been redeemed, and called on energy firms and the government to investigate why1. The consumer body said the figure comes from the Energy Bills Support Scheme GB: payments (December 2022) data1.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer and Food Policy, said the position was concerning as the weather turned colder, and that firms and government "must urgently investigate why so many customers have not yet accessed the government support available and stop at nothing to ensure that all customers on these prepayment meters - who are more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes - are able to access this vital support without further delay"1.
Which?, Money Saving Expert, National Energy Action, Citizens Advice and Age UK have written a joint letter to energy firms calling on them to take immediate action to ensure traditional prepayment meter customers are able to access government support1. Which? also said traditional prepayment customers should be prioritised in smart meter roll-outs where appropriate, so that support can be delivered automatically in future1. The body has separately launched a campaign calling on businesses in essential sectors, including energy, to do more to help customers through the cost of living crisis1.
The Energy Bill Support Scheme delivered support to households, but the mechanism differed by how a home paid for its energy. Traditional prepayment customers received vouchers rather than an automatic credit, which is the group at the centre of the redemption figures1. The wider Energy Price Guarantee capped unit rates over the same period.
Why it matters for households
For a household on a traditional prepayment meter, the support does not arrive on its own. It depends on a voucher reaching the right address and then being taken to a shop or top-up point and redeemed. A third of those vouchers not being redeemed means a large number of homes have not received money already allocated to them, and the households affected are described by Which? as more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes1. For energy independence in the practical sense, the gap is one of delivery rather than entitlement: the support exists, but it has not reached the meter. Households that have not received vouchers, or are unsure how to redeem them, are directed by Which? to contact their supplier and check the contact details held1. Separate arrangements apply in Northern Ireland, and there are distinct support routes in Scotland, Wales and England.
What happens next
The joint letter asks energy firms to take immediate action1. No deadline, response or commitment from any energy firm or from government is reported in the statement, and no date has been given for further redemption figures1.