New analysis of Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) data shows that in some areas of the country more than one in twenty payments were not delivered or vouchers left unredeemed, according to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition1. The regional figures cover the first five months of the scheme, which paid households £400 towards energy bills1.
The areas with the highest rates of missed payments include the London Borough of Brent, at 6.62%, Birmingham at 4.68%, Wolverhampton at 4.26%, Sandwell at 4.21%, Stoke at 4.00% and Coventry at 3.86%1. Rural areas also recorded poor delivery rates, including Na h-Eileanan Siar at 4.86%, Pendle at 4.28% and Richmondshire at 4.08%, which the analysis says equates to £285k still owed to constituents there by energy firms1.
| Area | Share of payments not delivered or redeemed |
|---|---|
| London Borough of Brent | 6.62% |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | 4.86% |
| Birmingham | 4.68% |
| Pendle | 4.28% |
| Wolverhampton | 4.26% |
| Sandwell | 4.21% |
| Richmondshire | 4.08% |
| Stoke | 4.00% |
| Coventry | 3.86% |
In Scotland, the value of missed payments tops £29m, and in cities including Birmingham, Glasgow and Leeds the value of missed payments is over £4m each1. Data for the full scheme shows energy firms still owe £241m to households, most of it through unclaimed prepayment meter vouchers, with new figures expected to be published the following week1.
"However, what is very concerning about these figures, is that the Energy Bills Support Scheme is not getting through to the very areas of the country which need it most."
Frazer Scott, chief executive of Energy Action Scotland, said EBSS vouchers expire in June and it is now unlikely that most affected households will receive some or all of the £400 to which they are entitled1. He said credit holding limits on older prepayment electricity meters range from £99 to £250 depending on meter and supplier, and that the larger the outstanding voucher value, the more difficult it may be to apply1. He added that rural households face additional barriers, with many paying significant travel costs to reach a post office or other redemption point1.
Why it matters for households
The £400 was paid automatically to most households, but the figures show delivery was uneven, and the households that missed out are concentrated in areas the analysis identifies as among those hardest hit by fuel poverty1. For a household that never received a payment or left a voucher unredeemed, the practical effect is a gap in closed energy bill support payments that the scheme's June deadline may now close permanently. Prepayment meter customers face a further constraint: the amount of credit an older meter can hold limits how much voucher value can be applied at once1. Households carrying arrears built up over the winter can look to crisis funds and hardship grants and to energy debt relief, while the wider question of what bill support does for a home's energy independence remains open.
What happens next
EBSS vouchers expire in June, and any money unclaimed by the public or undelivered by energy firms is due to be returned to the Government after the deadline for claims ends1. Further figures on the full scheme are expected to be published the following week1. The analysis notes that delays affecting off-grid homes are not shown in these figures1.
Sources1 cited
- Energy Bills Support Scheme gaps hit areas of high fuel poverty, endfuelpoverty.org.uk