Alternative Fuels Payment
The domestic Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) provides a £200 government grant payment to UK households that use alternative fuels for heating instead of mains gas.
This scheme is provides additional support to the £400 energy bill discount to help with your energy bills over winter 2022 to 2023.
Eligibility
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 is on top of the £400 from your electricity supplier.
You're 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 their electricity bills from February 2023.
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 get this payment automatically
You will have to apply for this payment through the AFP Alternative Fund if you do not get it automatically - for example, because you do not have a contract with an electricity supplier.
How you can claim
The scheme is being administered by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). You will need to apply to them through the GOV.UK website.
⚠ You can only make one application per household.
How your application will be processed
You will need to provide:
- your name
- your address
- details of a bank account into which you wish the payment to be made
The government will check whether the bill payer for the address has already received the £200 payment. They will pass the details of anyone that has not had a reduction to us.
We will then check our records and computer systems to confirm your address.
When your details are successfully verified we will pay the £200 directly into the bank account you have provided.
Who can I talk to about this
If you cannot apply online or you have a question, call the government helpline.
Telephone: 0808 175 3287
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
Please do not phone or contact us (Uttlesford District Council) about the scheme, as we will be unable to answer any questions.
Privacy
Read the government's Privacy Notice - Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Funding service (Great Britain) on GOV.UK
Read our Alternative energy support schemes privacy notice.
Fraud telephone calls and emails
You are encouraged to be alert as fraudsters may target the Alternative Fuels Payment scheme.
There have been reports that fraudsters are contacting people by phone and requesting bank details to access the new payment.
We will not call you and ask you to provide your bank details over the phone.
Contact us on 01799 510510 or email us at uconnect@uttlesford.gov.uk if you are concerned about any contact you have received about the Alternative Fuels Payment.