How to get up to £750 energy bill help with British Gas, Octopus and Scottish Power

HARD-UP households can get up to £750 to help with gas and electricity bills by contacting their supplier.

Companies including British Gas, Octopus and Scottish Power have set up schemes to support struggling customers as energy costs soar.

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Brits are facing record gas and electricity bill hikes this year.

Ofgem, the energy regulator, last week revealed that the new energy price cap will take the average household bill to £1,971 a year from April.

That’s an annual increase of £693 for the average family, with millions expected to be pushed into fuel poverty following the rise.

It comes as households are facing a wider cost of living rise, with the price of food increasing and taxes also set to jump this year.

The energy price rises are largely out of government control with global demand to blame as well as restrictions on imports from Russia and more.

But it means that the cost of living is rising at its fastest rate in 30 years, the Office for National Statistics has said – as one in 10 families are on the brink of a financial crisis.

We explain which energy suppliers have hardship schemes to help you cover your bills, and how to apply.

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British Gas

British Gas launched a fund last year to help customers cope with rising energy bills, and struggling households can get up to £750 to help pay off their debts.

To get a grant you need to be living in fuel poverty and not have more than £1,000 saved up.

You’re considered to be living in fuel poverty if your energy bills are above average and, once paid, would leave you with income below the poverty line.

You have to be a British Gas customer living in England, Scotland or Wales to apply for the winter fund.

You’ve also got to have an outstanding debt of between £250 to £750 on an open gas or electricity or duel fuel account.

If you’ve received a grant from British Gas in the past, you can still apply if it was through a different scheme.

In January, British Gas estimated that around 75,000 customers who were eligible had not yet applied for the scheme.

British Gas customers can apply to the fund online.

You’ll need to provide proof of household income, including all of the adults you live with, and a meter reading.

Octopus

Octopus also launched a new scheme in response to the soaring cost of living.

It is offering hard-up families grants of between £50 and £500.

Octopus has already helped 20,000 customers through the Octo Assist Fund since its launch in November 2021 and is still accepting applications.

There’s no deadline to apply but it is a good idea to make a claim as soon as possible.

Octopus said the fund will remain open until the £2.5million runs out, but it may increase the pot in the future if necessary.

There is no specific eligibility criteria, but most of the customers who get support from the fund are in arrears with their bill payments.

However, all applications are decided on a case-by-case basis.

So far, the average amount given out has been £100 per household.

You can apply on the Octopus website by filling out its financial support form.

Scottish Power

Scottish Power has a hardship fund to help customers who are struggling to meet their bill payments.

The supplier will wipe up to 40% of eligible customers’ debts, up to a value of £750 per household.

Awards are only made to help with debts and are made to the energy account.

That means you won’t receive a cash grant or money to put towards future energy use.

You need to prove you’re in financial hardship and have debts that you’re struggling to pay.

There’s no deadline and you can make a claim every three years.

If you’ve previously received a grant you can claim again, but only if it was more than three years ago.

Scottish Power said customers should first contact an independent debt advice service, such as National Debtline, before making an application.

You will receive free advice and more information about the hardship scheme.

If you decide to make an application, you can do so through Social Enterprise Direct, which manages the scheme for Scottish Power.

Bulb

Bulb also has a hardship fund, which will open for applications in the spring.

It hasn’t revealed details of the support available yet but last year it offered eligible customers grants of £140 or wrote off debts up to £2,000.

The supplier also offered customers in need energy efficient appliances to help them lower their energy use.

Bulb hasn’t confirmed if it will offer the same level of support this year, but we will update this article when it provides more information.

In the meantime, you should still get in touch with your supplier if you’re struggling to meet your payments, or think you will in the future.

What other help is available?

There are other schemes in place to help with rising energy costs.

The government is giving all households a £200 discount on their bills in April – but you’ll have to pay this back.

Other support includes the £25 cold weather payment, which you could get if you claim certain benefits and temperatures have fallen below zero in your local area.

You could also be eligible for help from the £500million Household Support Fund.

Councils across the country are offering help with essential costs, including bills and food.

The help available varies across the country, so contact your local authority to find out what’s on offer in your region.

There’s help available if you’re not a British Gas customer, too, as you can apply for its wider hardship fund.

Meanwhile, most energy suppliers have closed their warm home discount schemes, but it’s worth checking if yours is still open.

If not, keep an eye out for when the scheme reopens in October to get your application in early.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk