Which? said on 23 May 2023 that more than 80 per cent of Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers issued to customers on traditional prepayment meters have now been redeemed, and called for the remaining households to be reached before the scheme closes. The consumer body published the figure in a press statement from Rocio Concha, its Director of Policy and Advocacy1.
The Energy Bill Support Scheme provided vouchers to households on traditional prepayment meters, who could not receive the support as an automatic credit to their account. Which? said these customers are often on lower incomes1. The organisation said it welcomed efforts by government and industry to improve take-up so far, but warned that some households are still missing out on the support1.
Which? said customers who have not received vouchers, or who are unsure how to redeem them, should contact their supplier. It also said government, energy suppliers and top-up outlets must make sure customers know that lost, missing or expired vouchers can still be reissued and redeemed until 30 June 2023, and that the reissuing process should be as quick and easy as possible1.
The statement follows earlier campaigning by Which? on the scheme. The organisation launched a campaign in the autumn calling on businesses in essential sectors, including supermarkets, telecoms and energy, to do more to help customers through the cost of living crisis, and has campaigned for government and energy suppliers to improve the scheme for traditional prepayment meter customers1. Which?, Money Saving Expert, National Energy Action, Citizens Advice and Age UK wrote a joint letter to energy firms calling for immediate action to ensure those customers could access government support1.
Why it matters for households
For a household on a traditional prepayment meter, the Energy Bill Support Scheme support did not arrive automatically. It came as a voucher that had to be taken to a top-up outlet and redeemed, which means a lost, misplaced or expired voucher could leave the money unclaimed. Which?'s figure indicates that most of these households have now accessed the support, but a minority have not1.
The 30 June 2023 date is the point at which reissued vouchers can no longer be redeemed, according to Which?1. After that, any household still holding an unredeemed voucher, or waiting on a reissue, would have no route to that payment under the scheme as described. The value of individual vouchers, the number of households still affected and the total sum unclaimed have not been reported in the statement1.
For energy independence at home, the practical point is that this support was a fixed, time-limited payment rather than an ongoing discount, and it depended on the household completing a redemption step that direct debit customers did not face. Which? said the reissuing process should be quick and easy, which points to the administrative friction that can sit between a household and money it is entitled to1.
What happens next
The deadline for reissuing and redeeming lost, missing or expired vouchers is 30 June 2023, as stated by Which?1. Which? said it wants government, energy suppliers and top-up outlets to reach anyone struggling to redeem their vouchers before that date1. No further figures on redemption rates after 23 May 2023 have been reported1.