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Energy schemes - Extra help for 2022/23

If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, find out about the help you can get.

Last reviewed 08 December 2023

Extra help for 2022/23

There were a few cost of living schemes that were aimed at different groups:

Everyone

Pensioners

Ill and disabled people

People on low incomes

People in Northern Ireland

People who use alternative fuels

People in park homes and care homes

Everyone

Anyone in England, Scotland or Wales paying an electricity bill was able to get £400 taken off their energy account in winter 2022/23. It wasn't paid in cash – it was applied as a discount on your bill. You don't have to repay it.

This replaced the previous scheme where there would be a £200 payment applied to accounts that would then have to be repaid over 5 years.

People who have prepayment meters received vouchers. 


Pensioners

Anyone who was pension age on or before 25 September 2022 (born on or before 25 September 1956) was able to get an extra £300 in addition to the £200-300 Winter Fuel Payment.

This was paid by direct debit in November or December 2022. If you didn't receive a payment before 13 Jan 2023, contact the winter fuel payment helpline.

Ill and Disabled people

There was an extra £150 payment to people who get disability benefits.

To be entitled to this payment, you had to get one of these benefits on 25 May 2022:

This payment went out in September 2022.

It was paid in the same way as your disability benefit. For most people, this was by a transfer into their bank account. 


Low income households

£650 was paid in two instalments to households getting one of the following benefits:

It was paid automatically by the same mechanism you usually get your benefits, for example, direct transfer into your bank account. 


The first instalment went out from July for people who were getting a qualifying benefit between 26 April and 25 May 2022.

The second payment went out from November for people who were getting a qualifying benefit between 26 August 2022 and 25 September 2022.

Extra help

Councils have been given extra money to run discretionary funding schemes. This means councils have a lot of flexibility about how they decide to use the money.


If you’re struggling, you should ask your council for help.

People in Northern Ireland

All households in Northern Ireland received a lump sum of £600. 

Payments was made made automatically through your energy supplier between 16 January and 28 February 2023. 

You were eligible for vouchers if you didn't pay your bills by direct debit.

Similar support was available for households such as park home residents and tenants whose landlord pay their energy via a commercial contract.

People who use alternative fuels

The government provided extra help to people in England, Scotland and Wales who heat their homes with fuels other than gas or electricity.  

People who heat their homes with heating oil, liquified petroleum gas (LPG) or biomass were able get an extra payment of £200 to help with the high cost of these fuels. 

For most people, it was paid through their energy supplier from February 2023 and they didn't need to apply for help.

People who don't have an electricity supplier needed to apply for help.

People in park homes and care homes

People in England, Scotland and Wales who live in park homes and care homes, as well as people who pay their home energy bills to a commercial supplier, was able to get £400 help. 

Payments were made through local authorities.

You needed to apply for this help.

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