Building on its announcement last month, the UK government has stated that Northern Irish households without direct debits will receive a £600 voucher to help with their energy bills.
Last December, the UK Government confirmed that all households in Northern Ireland will receive a single £600 payment, which will consist of £400 provided under the Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme Northern Ireland (EBSS NI) and £200 from the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP).
Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart has now confirmed that consumers on standard credit schemes without direct debits and those on prepayment (keypad) meters will receive the support payment via vouchers.
The vouchers will be issued from mid-January to around 500,000 households in Northern Ireland, with priority access granted to vulnerable customers.
Stuart advised that the voucher – sent automatically by respective suppliers – will be addressed to the occupier of the property. By bringing the voucher alongside their keypad card or app, Keypad consumers can redeem the voucher at the Post Office. This will either be deposited in a bank or credit union, or can be given in cash if necessary.
Standard Credit customers will need to ensure that their supplier has the account holder’s correct name so that the voucher can be correctly distributed.
Both Standard Credit and Keypad customers must bring the letter from their supplier that will issued alongside the voucher and proof of address (dated before 2 January 2023) to redeem the voucher at the Post Office.
Vouchers will be valid until 31 March 2023.
“We are determined to ensure that whatever their circumstances, every customer in Northern Ireland gets the support they are entitled to,” said Stuart.
“Those without direct debits set up, and those on prepayment meters, will from January start to get these important vouchers which will provide vital help with their bills. Those already paying by direct debit will get the support straight into their bank accounts.
“I would urge those customers getting vouchers to look out for them, and to use them swiftly so they can benefit, and see the impact on their bills as soon as possible.”
The voucher forms part of the Government’s existing cost-of-living package of assistance unveiled across the last six months and cemented in the Energy Prices Bill in October, including the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), introduced in Northern Ireland last November, which the government has said has already saved households in the country using electricity £65, and those using gas £75.
