STRUGGLING households can get free cash and grant as energy bills are set to rise by another £800 this year.
Ofgem chief Jonathan Brearley yesterday warned the energy price cap was likely to rocket to £2,800 in October.
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It already increased to £1,972 in April – up from £1,277 – and is reviewed twice a year by the energy regulator.
It will stretch household budgets further as families are already struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.
But hard-up Brits may be eligible for extra help – we round up all the energy supplier hardship funds that are still open.
Bulb
Bulb reopened its hardship fund yesterday to help its one million customers with their energy bills.
Those struggling could apply online to get up to £140 worth of grant that doesn’t need to be re-paid.
You could also get help with buying energy efficient appliances such as washing machine or fridge and writing off debts up to £2,000.
When you apply you’ll be asked for information including how you’re struggling with bills and the exact help available depends on your situation,
E.on
The E.on Next Energy Fund can help customers through grants or by replacing an appliance such as a cooker, fridge or washing machine.
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The supplier does not say how much you can get, but you’ll need to be in financial hardship to be eligible and support is given following a one-on-one conversation with the customer.
British Gas
British Gas announced in April it is handing out an extra £2million to help customers with their bills as part of the British Gas Energy Trust.
Customers can get from £250 to £750 to pay off energy debts, with the average payout around £550.
To be eligible, you must have less than £1,000 in savings and outstanding debt of between £250 and £750 on an open gas or electricity or duel fuel account.
If you meet the eligibility criteria and are a British Gas customer can apply online.
You can apply online and will need to provide certain information like your proof of income and a recent meter reading.
Octopus Energy
Octopus customers can still get cash grants as the firm recently doubled its Octo Assist Fund to £5million to help hard-up households.
Grants range between £50 and £500, but the average pay-out so far has been £100.
There is no specific eligibility criteria, but the company says the help customers can get is based on circumstances and need.
You can apply on the Octopus website by filling out its financial support form.
EDF
The energy supplier added an extra £5million to its customer support fund last month, meaning there is now £6.4million available to help families as they battle soaring bills.
You can apply online for EDF’s customer support fund by filling in an online form.
The fund is run by Charis, an organisation that runs energy bill support funds on behalf of a number of big suppliers like EDF and E.ON.
Funding will be given on a case-by-case basis, and EDF said you must continue to pay your bills while your application is being processed.
Shell Energy
Shell Energy has set aside a £5million pot of cash to support households who are struggling with their bills.
Customers who are finding it hard to pay their bills should get in touch with the company.
You will be referred to its payment support scheme and a Shell Energy adviser will discuss your situation with you.
Each grant will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
These schemes are in high demand due to soaring energy costs.
So although there’s no official deadline, they can close at any time if they run out of funds, and you should contact the supplier sooner rather than later.
Other energy help include a £150 council tax rebate that around 80% of households are eligible.
A separate £144million fund has also been launched which local councils can dish out to vulnerable and low income households in other bands.
Plus, the government has announced the every single household will get a £200 discount on their energy bill in October.
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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
