Millions of prepayment energy meter customers must act NOW to get £400 cost of living payment
MILLIONS of households across the country are set to receive a £400 discount off their energy bills.
Nearly 30 million households will be eligible and in most cases, the amount will be automatically deducted from people's monthly energy bills.
Worth £400, the discount was first announced in in the former Chancellor's mini cost of living budget back in May.
Last week the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed that payments will begin in October.
However, households will get the cash across six monthly payments.
They'll see a discount of £66 applied to their energy bills in October and November and a £67 from December to March.
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But with the energy price cap set to hit £3,600 - a single payment worth less than £70 a month will hardly touch the sides.
The majority of households will get the discount automatically but those on traditional prepayment meters wont. Those on smart prepayment meters wont have to do anything.
These customers will need to collect and redeem a discount voucher to take advantage of the £400 energy discount.
The government is reminding these customers to make sure their supplier has up-to-date contact details for them so they receive their voucher and understand how to redeem it.
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How will I get the vouchers?
If you're on a traditional prepayment meter, you could receive the voucher in two ways.
Some will be given a redeemable energy bill discount voucher in the post.
Others will be sent a special action message (SAMs) in the first week of each month, issued via SMS text or email.
How do I use the vouchers?
To take advantage of the discount you'll need to actively redeem the vouchers.
Customers will be able to do this at their usual top-up point.
You should receive clearer instructions on how to use and redeem the full value of these vouchers once you get them.
What other help can I get?
If you're on a prepayment meter you might be able to get a one-off voucher to top up.
The best place to start to find somewhere which can offer you a fuel voucher is by asking your local council - you can find yours via gov.uk by searching your postcode.
If you’re still not sure if you can get a voucher, you can get help from an adviser, Citizens Advice says.
The voucher should help you cover around two weeks worth of electricity use.
Some energy companies may also issue their own vouchers, so ask your supplier directly.
Energy companies usually offer emergency credit, though you will have to pay this back.
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How much you get and how it's applied will depend on who your supplier is.
It might be added to your meter when you fall below a certain amount or you might have to ask for it.