The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stated in a written answer on 26 June 2023 that the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) scheme paid £200 to households using fuels such as heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas, coal or biomass, reaching around 2 million off-gas-grid homes1. The answer was given by Amanda Solloway for the department1.
The department said the scheme "particularly supported households in rural areas that are not connected to the gas grid"1. On delivery, it said that "over 85% of eligible households received the payment automatically via their electricity supplier during February", while "a small proportion of households needed to apply for the AFP, for example when households in their local area predominantly use electricity or mains gas for their heating"1.
"The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) scheme delivered payments of £200 to households who use alternative fuels such as heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas, coal or biomass, helping around 2 million off-gas-grid households to meet their energy costs."
The answer also stated that "the information requested is not held centrally"1. The question that prompted the answer, and the specific information it sought, are not set out in the answer text1. No breakdown of payments by nation, fuel type or household circumstance appears in the answer1.
| AFP delivery figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Payment per eligible household | £2001 |
| Households helped | Around 2 million1 |
| Paid automatically via electricity supplier | Over 85% of eligible households, during February1 |
| Remaining households | A small proportion, who needed to apply1 |
Why it matters for households
For homes without a mains gas connection, the AFP was a fixed £200 payment tied to the fuels those homes actually burn, rather than to an electricity account alone1. That distinction matters because off-gas-grid homes often carry higher running costs and have fewer options when prices move. The off-gas-grid homes guide sets out the fuels and support routes involved, and heating a home off the gas grid covers the equipment side.
The delivery route also matters. Most eligible households were paid automatically through their electricity supplier, so no application was needed; the exception was areas where electricity or mains gas dominates, where households had to apply1. For a household trying to establish whether a payment was due, that split is the practical detail: automatic payment left no action to take, while the application route depended on local fuel patterns1.
The AFP sits within the wider set of closed energy bill support schemes, including the £400 payments, described in the closed energy bill support payments guide. The grants and schemes hub covers the current landscape, and the energy bills and energy independence guide looks at what fixed payments do and do not change for a household's control over its own supply.
What happens next
No further steps, deadlines or future delivery figures are set out in the answer1. The answer does not state whether any households remained unpaid at the date it was given, or what happens to any unclaimed amounts1.
Sources1 cited
- [](https://api.parliament.uk/query/resource?uri=https%3A%2F%2Fid.parliament.uk%2FjpBkcs40), api.parliament.uk