Major warning for prepayment meter customers who risk missing out on £400 energy bill support
THOUSANDS of prepayment-meter customers could be missing out on as much as £400 in energy bill support this winter.
Vouchers have been sent out to get the money off bills when topping up - but many have not been redeemed.
Millions of households started to get the £400 energy bill discount from October.
The way in which the discount is paid will depend on the type of prepayment meter you are on.
Those on older, traditional prepayment-meters can't get the discount directly and will instead receive vouchers to redeem at their local top-up point.
Meter top-up processor PayPoint that it expected to process 800,000 vouchers in October, worth a total of £52.8million.
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But just £25.8million of these vouchers have been redeemed so far -and could miss out on the cash altogether if they're not quick.
Traditional prepayment-meter customers must redeem their discount vouchers at their local top-up point to take advantage of the £400 energy discount.
Customers have three months to redeem the value of these vouchers before they expire.
National Energy Action chief executive Adam Scorer said: "One of the least surprising outcomes from the Energy Bills Support Scheme is that people on older prepayment meters are most likely to miss out.
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"They may not know that the scheme exists, be reluctant to open letters from suppliers, miss the email or can't print the voucher off.
"Having the support in place, is of course, vital. Making sure people can and do access it is just as important."
The news comes after The Sun exclusively revealed that prepayment-meter customers will now benefit from new top-up limits.
Gas card and electricity key top-up limits have been raised from £49 to £99 to ensure that that the discount vouchers could be applied in a single transaction.
Those on new smart prepayment meters have the discount applied automatically to their meter.
The discount is made up of six instalments, starting from October.
Customers should get a discount worth £66 in October and November.
A £67 discount will then be provided every month between December and March 2023.
Those on credit or smart prepayment meters will not need to do anything to receive the discount.
How will my traditional prepayment-meter be credited?
If you're on a traditional prepayment-meter, you'll be given a redeemable energy bill discount voucher or special action message (SAMs) in the first week of each month, issued via SMS text, email or post.
Customers will then need to redeem these at their usual top-up point.
Customers of Bulb, E.ON and E.ON Next, EDF, Octopus, Ovo (and SSE), Scottish Power, Shell Energy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse can choose for their voucher to be redeemed on either their gas or electricity meter.
However, British Gas customers will only be able to redeem their vouchers on their electricity meters.
What if I have separate gas and electricity suppliers?
If you have a gas prepayment meter and a standard credit electricity meter or vice versa, only one of your energy suppliers will provide the £400 energy bills discount.
Your electricity supplier will be the one to pay you the discount and if you are on a standard electricity meter and pay by direct debit, we have listed how you'll receive the £400.
What other energy bill help is coming?
A £300 one-off "Pensioner Cost of Living Payment" will be paid out to eight million households this month.
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It will be given to those who already get the winter-fuel payment - which is worth between £100 and £300 for those over the state pension age.
Millions of households are in line to get the £150 Warm Home Discount between December and March 2023.