Energy Bills Support Scheme: how it works
March 2023 Update: The Government’s Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) is coming to an end. You will see this reflected in your April 2023 energy bill. We will contact you directly to explain how this will affect your payments.
If you have a prepayment energy meter and received your £400 EBSS payment as vouchers, you must redeem them by 30th June 2023, or you will miss out on this support.
If you think you will struggle to pay for your energy, it’s really important to seek help. Please email us at hello@goodenergy.co.uk and we can talk you through your options and help you find an affordable solution.
There’s also lots of independent support available. Contact Citizens Advice if you need help with an energy problem – for example with your bills or meters, or if you’re struggling to pay for the energy you use. They’re the official source of free and independent energy advice and support.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) is a government discount of £400 that households will receive off their energy bills, to help with the high cost of energy. You don’t need to apply for the discount, and you don’t need to pay it back. You will receive the discount in six installments between October 2022 and March 2023.
If the government, make any further announcements about the Energy Bills Support Scheme we will update these pages. Please check here before contacting us.
What you need to know
- All households across Great Britain will receive a £400 discount which will be paid in six instalments, one each month starting from October.
- How you receive your discount will depend on how you pay for your energy.
- You will not have to pay back the £400 discount.
- The first two discounts in October and November will be £66. The following four payments of £67 will be paid from December to March 2023.
- You don’t need to apply for the scheme.
- This government discount is applied for all households with a domestic electricity meter. If Good Energy is your supplier for gas but not electricity, you will not receive the discount from us, but via your electricity supplier.
- Be aware of scams. If you receive an email or text asking you to register your details or send your bank details to claim your discount, these won’t be from us. Protect yourself from fraud.
- For a small number of customers, the process will be slightly different and we’ll be in touch to confirm. We will also ensure that we update this page with any new updates, so please refer back here before contacting us.
How do I get the £400 discount?
You don’t need to apply for the scheme. Each energy supplier has been asked to pay customers who have an electricity supply. So if your electricity supply is with us on the eligible day each month, you’ll get your payment from Good Energy. If you only have your gas supply with us, then you’ll get your payment through your electricity supplier.
How will I be paid?
You’ll be paid in six instalments across six months, with the first payment being made in October 2022.
How you’ll receive the discount depends on how you currently pay for your energy.
- If you pay by fixed Direct Debit you will have the discount deducted from your monthly Direct Debit. Rest assured that if there are ever any changes to your fixed Direct Debit amount we’ll still apply your EBSS discount. You’ll be able to see your EBSS discount deducted from your Direct Debit on your energy statement.
- Variable Direct Debit, pay on receipt of bill, or regular cash payment customers will have a credit added to your account in the first week of the month. You’ll be able to see your discount applied on your energy statement.
- Smart prepayment customers will have the money added directly to your active balance, within the first week of the month. You’ll be able to see this as a credit on your smart prepayment account.
- Traditional prepayment meter customers will receive their Energy Bills Support Scheme payment as a voucher within the first two weeks of the month. You will receive this by email if we have your email address, or post. Vouchers can only be redeemed at the Post Office, within three months of the date you receive them.
Please be aware of scams.
A number of customers have told us that they received an email purporting to be from Ofgem, asking them to apply for the government energy discount. These emails are a scam – you do not have to apply for the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and your discount will be paid to you directly by Good Energy.
If you receive any emails directing you to a ‘government’ gateway or asking you to provide bank details to get the discount, do not click any links and report it to report@phishing.gov.uk.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Households with a domestic electricity connection will be automatically eligible for the £400. You will not be able to opt out.
No, this is a non-repayable discount to all households with an electricity meter.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme is part of a wider support package announced by the government in response to the unprecedented rise in the cost of energy. Energy suppliers have a legal obligation to deliver to the discount to all eligible customers.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme is being funded directly by the government.
The government wants the £400 to be spread across the winter months. Suppliers must provide the discount across six months and as such we will receive the money from the government in six monthly instalments. We are unable to provide £400 in one lump sum from October.
You can only use your voucher at the Post Office. It can’t be redeemed at Payzone or Paypoint. You can find your nearest Post Office at www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder Please remember to take ID with you.
How can I claim my PPM voucher?
The Post Office will ask for valid ID that matches the name and address as shown on the voucher for the vouchers to be redeemed.
Valid Passport
Valid EU Photo Driving Licence
Valid UK Photo Driving Licence
Armed Forces ID Card
Police Warrant Card
National Identity Card (photographic)
UK Biometric Residency Permit
Domestic Bill/Statement (dated within 12 months) – Household or Bank
Asylum ID Card
Other Photo ID
Yes. The person redeeming your voucher will have to provide evidence of their own identity, as well as yours. See the answer above for acceptable forms of ID.
For more information on other government support measures for this winter, please visit the Help for Households link here.
Since the grant scheme was announced earlier this summer, forecasted energy prices across the industry have continued to increase. Many – including Good Energy – have called on the government to provide more extensive support. On 8th September the government announced its Energy Price Guarantee which will provide further discount to bills. We will be sharing more information on this as soon as we can.
From October 2022 to March 2023, you will receive a monthly discount of £66 or £67 through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. If your Direct Debit is set below this amount, you will have a ‘payment holiday’, where we won’t collect your monthly payment. You will receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme discount as a credit to your account.
For example, if your monthly payments are normally £50, we won’t collect any payment while EBSS is in place, and you will receive £66 or £67 credit to your account each month. We’ll then use this credit to pay for your energy usage.
It will depend on the date you move property. Each month, suppliers need to notify the government how many customers they have that are eligible to receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) discount. If you took responsibility for your new home after the 1st of the month, we may need to reverse that month’s discount to make sure you don’t receive it twice (from Good Energy and from the supplier of your new property). We’ll do this by adding the discount to the total of your final bill. To avoid this from happening, we strongly encourage you to tell us as soon as possible if you’re moving house.
Will my data be shared?
In order to make sure everyone is receiving their Energy Bills Support Scheme discount, the government are obligating suppliers to provide regular updates. We will be required to share some customer data to do this. This will include your meter point number and whether you have received and redeemed each payment. We won’t be sharing your name or contact details. Your data will be handled and stored securely in line with our privacy policy. You can read more about how the government will use and store your data here.
