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Households within the Huntingdonshire district who do not have a direct relationship with their electricity supplier are receiving their £400 government Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) to help with energy bills.

EBSS AF means that households who didn't receive the original energy bills support, such as those without their own electricity meter or without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, can receive a £400 support payment.

Households eligible to apply for support under EBSS AF include:

  • park home residents

  • tenants who pay for their energy through a landlord with a commercial supply

  • partly and wholly self-funded care home residents

  • houseboats on residential moorings

  • households on a private electricity network

  • off-grid households

  • traveller households on authorised sites

  • domestic farmhouses paying on a commercial supply.

If you don't heat your home with mains gas and use an alternative fuel which could include oil, biomass and bottled gas, you might also be able to get an additional £200 payment, known as the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP).

The government recently announced an expansion to the scheme so more households will receive this payment. The government has increased the period of time that applicants can evidence the purchase of alternative fuels, by three months to June 2022, instead of September 2022. This ensures that households who purchased fuel in bulk ahead of the winter are able to receive the £200 energy bill support they are entitled to.

If you have not yet applied for either of these schemes, please submit an application as you may be entitled to this money.

Executive Councillor for Customer Services, Cllr Stephen Ferguson, said: "It is great that many of our residents are already receiving their money.

"With the recent announcement of the government expanding the AFP scheme means that more eligible residents across Huntingdonshire will be able to get the help that they need.

"If you have still not submitted an application for either of these schemes then I urge you to apply so you can get the support that you are entitled to."

Residents can apply for these schemes until Wednesday 31 May.

Dedicated helplines are also available for residents who need support to complete an application for EBSS AF and AFP or cannot apply online. The freephone number for EBSS AF is 0808 175 3287 and the freephone number for AFP is 0808 175 3943.

Both lines are open from 8am - 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Once an application has been made, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will make a series of checks. Once those checks have been completed, the details are then given a final check by Huntingdonshire District Council to ensure that the resident lives at the address they have provided.

You will be told about the progress of your application by email or letter. You should get a response within six weeks. If you are eligible, we will arrange a one-off payment. You do not need to repay this money.