We've pulled all the information together you'll need into one place. This will help you understand what the scheme is and how it will work.
What is the Energy Bills Support Scheme?
The government set up this scheme back in October 2022 as a way to help households across Great Britain as energy bills continued to rise. The scheme has now closed, and you should have received all your payments or vouchers if you're a prepayment customer.
The important stuff you need to know
- All households across Great Britain received a £400 discount which will be paid in 6 instalments from October 2022
- The instalments have been paid out in various ways depending on how you pay for your energy
- Customers are not expected to pay back the £400 discount
- The first two discounts were £66 followed by four payments of £67 from December 2022 until March 2023
- Your payments will automatically be paid, so there's no need to call us
- The EBSS payment will be made regardless of the debit or credit on your account balance
- We'll let you know when an EBSS payment has been made, either with your next bill or statement
- If you change the way you pay for your energy during the next six months, the way you receive the discount will change too
- If you only have a gas account with EDF, payments will come from whoever supplies your electricity. Your electricity supplier may make payments in a different way
- Prepayment customers – Your vouchers will be sent in the post. ID will be required to redeem your vouchers. Full details, including expiry dates, will be provided when you receive the vouchers from the Post Office
You may be eligible for some additional cost of living support from the government.
Prepayment customers
A voucher will be sent in the post within the first two weeks of each month to redeem when you top-up at the Post Office®. Find your nearest Post Office. Whilst there are currently no planned strikes this could change. View the latest news to see when further strikes could happen.
You'll need your ID to redeem your vouchers. Full details, including expiry dates, will be provided when you receive the vouchers from the Post Office. You'll only be able to redeem the voucher for the customer living at the property if you're their carer or relative.
The vouchers will be valid for three months from the issue date, so we encourage you to use them within the period they're valid.
What to do if your vouchers haven't been sent or they have incorrect info on them
If you've lost your voucher or the incorrect name is on the voucher, please fill out this form. We can then get this sorted for you asap.
Step 1
Your vouchers will be sent within the first two weeks of each month to redeem when you top-up at the Post Office®.
If you've lost your voucher or the name is incorrect, please fill out this form, we can then get this sorted for you asap.
Step 2
Once you have your vouchers, take them to your nearest Post Office. Find your local Post Office.
You will need:
- Your ID
- Proof of address
If someone else is doing this for you, make sure they have your ID with them before they set off to the Post Office
Step 3
Choose how you want your discount applied. If we supply your gas and electricity when redeeming your voucher at a Post Office branch, you can ask for the EBSS discount to be split between your gas and electricity meters.
Budget Direct Debit (Monthly)
Budget Direct Debit (Monthly)An automatic refund payment will be made within five working days of your normal payment date. This will be paid into the bank account your Direct Debit payments are taken from. Your monthly direct debit amount will not change.
- If you then switch to being a Cash Cheque customer your EBSS payment would switch to being a monthly credit applied to your energy account.
- If you change your direct debit bank account, we’ll credit the EBSS payment to your active bank account at the time of the payment.
- If we don't have your bank account details at the time of processing the EBSS payment, it will be credited to your energy account.
Cash/Cheque and Direct Debit Whole Amount
If you pay by Cash/Cheque or Direct Debit Whole Amount, an automatic credit to your energy account in the first week of each month.
- If you pay by Direct Debit Whole Amount the EBSS payment will not change your direct debit amount.
- If you cancel your direct debit, there may be a delay in your payment being made. But it will still be paid into your energy account.
EBSS general FAQs
Beware of any scams
We won't ever send your credit via email or SMS.
We've had a notification from Ofgem that there have been a high number of incidents raised with Action Fraud from customers receiving scam emails and text messages claiming to offer customers access to the Energy Bills Support Scheme. In the email or message, customers are asked to register their details.
See an example here of the email or text message.
If you've received one of these please don't click on any links, delete the email or message and report it. If you think your details have been compromised please report it.
If you’re worried about paying for your energy
We appreciate this is a really difficult time. We have lots of ways we can help you if you're struggling to pay. Options include:
- having a smart Pay As You Go meter installed can you manage your energy budget
- paying less, more often - if you currently pay your bills quarterly why not consider monthly payments by going to MyAccount
- extra support through our Priority Services, for those who need it
- how to access independent advice and support - visit our help centre
Other government schemes and benefits that may help
You may be eligible for certain grants and benefits if you:
- have reached state pension age
- have a disability
- have no income or a low income
- have missed payments to your energy supplier
Extra help with energy costs during the winter months
Cold Weather payment - Provides extra support for those who need it when the average temperature in your area you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over 7 consecutive days. You’ll get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.
Winter Fuel Payment - If you were born on or before 26 September 1956 you could get between £150 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills. This is a one-off annual payment that gets made automatically if you're eligible.
Helping to keep you out of debt
Third-party deductions or fuel direct payments - If you receive certain benefits, you can pay your energy bills or debt over time directly out of your benefits.
Extra support through the Household Support Fund - The government launched a £500m support fund in October 2021. Local councils were awarded extra funding to help customers through the winter. Anyone needing support should contact their local council who can help them access the fund. Read more about the funding and how it works.
Other services that can help you manage your energy and save
Join our customers who are cutting their usage and bills
It's important now, more than ever, to stay in control of your energy. With a smart meter and our free Energy Hub, you'll easily be able to track your energy usage and see where you can save so that you can lower your bills and your carbon footprint.
Smart benefits include:
- Upgrade your meter at no extra cost
- Receive more accurate bills, keep in control and view the cost of your energy
- Get a better idea of where you use energy in your home with Energy Hub(1)
- Save up to £63 with our free Energy Hub platform(2). Smart meter required
With energy bills rising - act now to help save you money this winter!
Here are the savings insulation can save you on your bills each year:
Advice on what you can do at home to save energy
Read our tips on energy saving at home. Some of these are easy to do and completely free.
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