MILLIONS of EDF Energy customers are set to receive an energy bill discount next month.
Customers who pay their bills by direct debit will receive the £400 discount directly into their bank accounts.
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EDF customers will be expected to pay their full direct debit amount each month as usual.
Once the payment has cleared, the firm will refund the monthly discount amount to your bank account.
If you cancel your direct debit, or it fails, the supplier will add your discount as an automatic credit to your energy account in the first week of each month instead.
Those on prepayment meters will also have the discount credited to their electricity meter.
However, EDF has warned that if your energy account is in debt, the discount will help to clear your debt first.
Nearly 30 million households across the country are eligible for the discount worth £400.
And five million EDF Energy customers are set to receive the discount.
The discount was first announced back in May by the former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, but the money won’t start to arrive until October.
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The discount will be will be made up of six instalments, starting from October.
Customers will get a discount worth £66 in October and November.
A £67 discount will then be provided every month between December and March 2023.
British Gas, Bulb, E.ON, E.ON Next, Scottish Power, Shell Energy, Octopus Energy, Ovo Energy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse have also now confirmed how they’ll pay their customers.
We list how you’ll receive the discount depending on your payment method below.
I have a standard electricity meter, how will I get the payment?
Direct debit customers will be expected to pay their bill as normal each month.
These customers will then receive the energy bill discount directly into their bank account after a successful direct debit is processed within five working days.
For example, if your October bill comes to £225, your direct debit will go through as normal and once it’s processed you’ll receive a refund worth £67 into your bank account within five working days.
If your bill is £45 then you’ll get £45 refunded. The remainder of the monthly rebate will be added to your bill, so you still get the discount but it will be spaced out over more months.
If you pay when you get your bill you’ll receive your monthly discount as a credit to your energy account in the first week of each month.
I’m on a prepayment meter, how will I get the discount?
If you’re on a smart prepayment meter, the discount will be automatically credited to your electricity meter in the first week of each month of delivery.
If you’re on a traditional prepayment meter, you’ll be given a redeemable energy bill discount voucher or special action message (SAMs) in the first week of each month, issued via SMS text, email or post.
You’ll receive vouchers by email or post within 11 working days of the first day of each month.
Customers will then need to redeem these at their usual top-up point and do so within 90 days of their issue date.
If you fail to redeem your voucher within the validity period, you’ll have to contact EDF to arrange for a fresh voucher to be sent to you.
What other help is available?
There are plenty of energy grants and schemes open to help you out if you’re struggling.
British Gas has recently confirmed that it’ll pay its most vulnerable customers grants worth £750 to help with sky-high bills.
Ask your supplier what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
There’s also a one-off fuel voucher from your energy supplier if you’re on a prepayment metre.
If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free and friendly advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
They can also help you take the next steps if you need a debt management plan (DMP) to tackle your debt or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). These are agreements for managing multiple debts.
