29% of traditional prepayment meter customers still haven't received their energy support payments

While temperatures are well below freezing, more than half a million households with traditional prepayment energy meters are still missing out on vital support with their energy payments.

That's because 29% of the monthly vouchers due to be sent to these customers have yet to be redeemed, according to a government report published today.

That means more than 1.7 million vouchers haven't been redeemed. Data released last month showed that 34% of vouchers hadn't been used yet, so the gap is slowly shrinking.

In total, around £115 million worth of vouchers haven't yet benefitted customers, at a time when we're spending more on energy than ever to keep our homes warm. 

If you have a smart prepayment meter, or pay for your gas and electricity by direct debit, you'll receive the discount automatically each month until March 2023. However, if you have a traditional prepayment meter that you top up manually via a key or card, then you'll be sent vouchers that you must redeem yourself.

With just two months of the scheme remaining, we're still worried about low redemption rates. We're pleased to see the government publish these figures, split by supplier and the way they're issued – something we've been pushing for – but the government and energy suppliers must now work together to quickly improve the scheme and help the most vulnerable customers access this vital support.

Keep reading to find out how to redeem your energy support vouchers, and what to do if you can't get to a top-up point now.

What is the Energy Bills Support Scheme?

The Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) is a £400 discount for all UK households. 

Users in England, Scotland and Wales are being paid in monthly instalments, which run from October 2022 to March 2023.

Users in Northern Ireland will get a one-off payment of £600 either this month or in February. 

This is a £400 energy bill support payment, plus £200 to cover the higher costs of heating oil since many homes aren't on the gas grid. 

If you live in Great Britain and don't have mains gas, you'll also get an extra £200. We now know that these payments will start to arrive from 6 February.

Why aren't energy support payments getting to customers?

Energy customers with traditional prepayment meters have to wait to receive their vouchers through the post, then take action to redeem them.

There may be difficulties with receiving or redeeming the vouchers, and some customers may not even be aware of the scheme.

Others might be saving the vouchers to redeem when they feel they need them most. If you're in this position, remember that vouchers are only valid for 90 days from when they were issued.

New government figures, published today, show the proportion of prepayment vouchers redeemed by customers of different firms.

Some energy companies have far more customers with traditional prepayment meters than others. While the biggest firms, including British Gas, Eon Next, EDF Energy, Ovo Energy and Scottish Power, have hundreds of thousands of customers with these meters, Good Energy and GEUK have fewer than 400.

Prepayment vouchers can be reissued for a further three months, so if yours is about to expire, ask your energy supplier about this.

All vouchers must be used before the end of June 2023.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter and haven't received your vouchers, you need to get in touch with your energy supplier. It should have contacted you before 1 October 2022 to tell you how you would get your money.

How can I get the EBSS energy bill discount in England, Scotland or Wales?

In England, Scotland and Wales, you get your payments in monthly instalments. In October and November you should have received £66, and in December you should have received £67. January's voucher will also be for £67. 

It's automatic: you don't need to apply. If you pay for your energy by direct debit, or have a smart prepayment meter, you'll automatically receive the credit of £66 or £67 each month. Most companies are adding this to your energy credit account so you pay less. Some are paying the money directly into customers' bank accounts.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter, you have to redeem your vouchers at specific top-up points. 

Companies pass on your discount in slightly different ways.

Find out how to get your EBSS energy bill discount.

How can I get the EBSS energy bill discount in Northern Ireland?

In Northern Ireland, you'll get a one-off payment of £600 in January or February 2023. If you pay by direct debit, you'll receive the money directly into your bank account.

Around a quarter of households pay for energy in a different way. If this is you, you'll be sent a voucher through the post. Vouchers will be sent over four weeks and will all be posted by the end of February.

You can only redeem your voucher at post offices and must take the ID specified on the voucher.

Find out more about: how to get cost of living payments in Northern Ireland.

Energy firms and government must act to help customers get energy support 

We asked David Southgate, policy manager at Age UK, why it thinks people may be struggling with claiming their EBSS vouchers.

Southgate said: 'Age UK warned the Government in May that prepay customers reliant on legacy energy meters would face barriers to redeeming their vouchers. We knew that some would remain unaware of the scheme, while others would hold onto them for even tougher times, or would be worried that the money off was a 'too good to be true' scam. Even getting to a top up point is now proving increasingly difficult, especially with the freezing temperatures and poor transport links in many rural areas. 

'Because of the spiralling cost of living many older people are being bombarded with bills and default notices. Under these conditions, many may simply be ignoring their post for fear of it being yet another bill they can’t afford to pay. 

'A solution must be found quickly. Ofgem, suppliers, and the Government must run an offline promotional campaign to raise awareness of the scheme, redistribute vouchers to homes yet to use them, and extend expiry dates, or redemption rates will not improve.'

Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: 'Which? has led calls for Energy Bill Support Scheme voucher redemption rates for traditional prepayment customers to be published for each supplier and we are pleased to see the government taking this on board, providing much-needed transparency about which firms need to make improvements. 

'It is very concerning that around 30 per cent of vouchers still haven't been redeemed – especially with freezing temperatures last month – and that suppliers including EDF, Scottish Power, Energy Plus Supply Limited, Good Energy and Utilita are falling short in making sure this support reaches their customers. As an urgent priority, the government and energy suppliers must work together to share best practice and quickly improve the scheme to ensure that all customers on these prepayment meters – who are more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes – are able to access this vital support without further delay. 

'Traditional prepayment meter customers should also be prioritised in smart meter rollouts where appropriate, so that financial support can be delivered automatically in future. If you are on a traditional prepayment meter and haven’t received your vouchers, or are unsure of how to redeem them, you should get in touch with your supplier for more information and to make sure they have the correct contact details.'

Find out more about our cost of living campaign.