Council tax energy rebate payment

Latest information

Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF) and Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP)

Providing energy bills support to those who haven't received automatic financial assistance from any energy support schemes

The Government has announced two schemes which will provide payments to those who haven't yet received financial assistance from existing energy support schemes. These are Government-run schemes which we are helping to administrate locally.

Government's Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF)

Most households get a £400 discount on their energy bills automatically. However, in some cases, people do not get the discount automatically; for example, if they pay for energy through a landlord, housing manager or site owner, or live in a park home, houseboat or off the electricity grid. The Government's Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF) Alternative Funding is now in place to help these people.

The EBSS AF is providing support of £400 for energy bills for households in England, Scotland, and Wales without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier. This support is provided by the Government and is now open to all eligible households until 31 May 2023.

Subject to applications meeting the eligibility criteria, people who will be able to receive support under EBSS AF include:

• care home residents and others in care facilities (wholly or partly self-funded)
• park home residents, houseboats/residential mooring and caravans that can provide proof of address
• social and private tenants who pay for energy through a landlord on a commercial supply
• homes on a heat network/private wire
• off-grid homes
• farmhouses used for wholly domestic purposes

If you are eligible for EBSS AF you will need to fill out a short online form via the GOV.UK website. The form can be found by searching "Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically" into the search bar on GOV.UK or an internet search engine. Applications are made directly to the Government, not to or via Wiltshire Council. If you know anyone that does not have online access, they can apply via a contact centre on 08081 753287 where a representative will guide them through the application process.

Once you have applied, the application will be processed and verified. After this if the application is successful, details will be shared with Wiltshire Council, and we will deliver the one-off, non-repayable support. The payment will be made directly into the bank account in a single instalment. Further information can be found at GOV.UK website (opens new window).

Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP)

This scheme is for people that use alternative fuels for heating.

You may be eligible for a £200 Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) if both the following are true:

• your household is not connected to the mains gas grid
• you use alternative fuels as your main form of heating

This one-off payment would be on top of the £400 from your electricity supplier.

You may be eligible for this payment if the main way you heat your home uses:

• tank or bottled gas
• liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
• oil
• wood
• solid fuel

Most homes that are eligible for this payment will get it automatically as a credit on your electricity bills, but you may not get the payment automatically if your home is either:

• in an area which is mainly connected to the gas grid
• not connected to either the gas or the electricity grid

If you do not receive this payment automatically you may have to apply for this payment through the same method as the AFP Alternative Fund, for example, because you do not have a contract with an electricity supplier. The form can be found by searching "Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically" into the search bar on GOV.UK website (opens new window) or an internet search engine. Applications are made directly to the Government, not to or via Wiltshire Council. If you know anyone that does not have online access, they can apply via a contact centre on 08081 753287 where a representative will guide them through the application process

We will help process the payments made through the Government's portal, which is the same one used for EBSS AF.

Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) and Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF) FAQs
 

14 February 2023

Update on Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding

Central Government have advised that this new scheme will be launched by the end of February and that further guidance regarding eligibility will be published shortly. Applications will only be accepted online via the government portal and details on how to do this will also be announced.

The government website Help with your energy bills: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (opens new window) will be updated once the scheme is open.

20 January 2023

Central government has announced a delay to the new Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. They were hoping to launch the scheme during January, but now advise more time is required to set this up.

21 December 2022

Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding

The government has recently announced a new support scheme to assist people who do not have a direct relationship to a domestic energy supplier and have not previously qualified under the previous energy support schemes https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vital-help-with-energy-bills-on-the-way-for-millions-more-homes-across-great-britain-and-northern-ireland (opens new window).

Further guidance about this scheme will be provided in January and the application process will be direct to the government via their website (gov.uk).  Not direct to the council.

25 November 2022

The discretionary energy rebate scheme will end on the 30 November 2022. 

With the remaining funding, the council will provide an additional payment to nearly 10,000 pensioner households in Wiltshire on low incomes. A rebate of £70.00 will shortly be paid directly into the bank accounts of those identified.

It will appear on your bank statement as a credit of £70 from Wiltshire Council. There is nothing for people to do, the money will automatically be paid into the householder's bank account.

9 August 2022

Discretionary Fund

The discretionary energy rebate scheme for those within council tax bands E to H, is now open. Please refer to the discretionary fund page for further details about this scheme.

4 August 2022

The online application process to claim the  £150 energy rebate payment has now closed. If you are eligible for the main scheme and have not received payment, the council will shortly pay this to your council tax account and send you a revised bill. You may still ask for this to be refunded by emailing energyrebate@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) and providing your bank details to make payment.

25 July 2022

Well over 90% of households have now claimed and been paid the £150.00 energy rebate. The remaining households identified as eligible, will shortly have the £150.00 energy rebate paid to their council tax account. When this has been done, a revised council tax bill will be issued, showing the reduced monthly payments. 

17 June 2022

The council continue to make payments of the £150.00 energy rebate as quickly as possible. We have now paid over 85% of eligible properties and will shortly send further campaign letters to new cases identified. Once your claim is made through the online portal, please allow up to 3 weeks for your payment to be processed. 

We have found that some bank account details entered through the portal have been incorrect. In this instance, the council will send you an email asking you to supply the correct bank details.

If you have asked for your rebate to be deducted from your council tax account, a revised bill to show this will be sent to you in the next few weeks. Cases who have received a campaign letter, but have not submitted a claim, will have the energy rebate deducted from their council tax account during August. 

31 May 2022

Direct Debit Payers

Campaign letters will shortly be sent to some direct debit payers, where further verification checks are required. If you receive a letter, please upload your details into the online portal system to receive payment. Although you may currently  pay the council tax by direct debit, there are a small number of cases where we would rather be completely sure of the correct bank details and not pay the energy rebate to the wrong person.

20 May 2022

Non-Direct Debit Payers

Campaign letters  inviting non-direct debit payers to claim the energy rebate payment have been posted. You will need a campaign letter with an activation code before you are able to make a claim on the link above.

Background

The government announced measures to help protect millions of households from rising energy costs (GOV.UK: News story - Millions to receive £350 boost to help with rising energy costs (opens new window)).

The Government will provide funding for billing authorities to give all households in England whose primary residence is valued in council tax bands A-D a one-off council tax energy rebate payment of £150. This payment will operate outside of the council tax system, using council tax lists to identify eligible households.

Funding will also be provided for billing authorities to operate a discretionary fund for households in need who would not otherwise be eligible. This could include for example individuals on low incomes who live in properties valued in bands E-H.

Further guidance about this rebate was published on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-council-tax-rebate-2022-23-billing-authority-guidance/support-for-energy-bills-the-council-tax-rebate-2022-23-billing-authority-guidance (opens new window).

With the cost of living rising, the council recognise how difficult it is for some people at the moment and we are working really hard to get the payments made as quickly as possible. The majority of direct debit payers have now received payment and the council  are currently writing to all non-direct debit payers, with details on how to obtain payment.

Administrating the rebates and discretionary funding is a huge undertaking and we really appreciate people's patience at this time.

The rebate is based on circumstances at the 1 April 2022 and unoccupied properties are not eligible. Further details can be found within the other sections of 'Council tax energy rebate payment'.

Contact us

For contact information, visit Contact council tax and benefits.