Over £12,000 of Energy Grants help Rushmoor Residents
Citizens Advice Rushmoor has helped local people gain over £12,000 in grants directly to help their energy bills this winter. Working with local partners such as the Community Grub Hub, to make sure we reach the people who need us most, our volunteers and staff team have worked hard to process applications to the grants.
The grants are provided via the Household Support Fund, managed by Hampshire County Council, and delivered in partnership with Citizens Advice Hampshire. By channelling it through Citizens Advice, it has enabled people accessing the scheme to gain help on related issues such as debt and welfare benefits. Knowing that people can often face a choice between “heating and eating”, the work with the Grub Hub has helped local people address both urgent needs.
The fund has proved so popular, that the funding was completely used up before the end date of 31st March 2022. We were notified at lunchtime on 31st March, after some applications had already been submitted. We are sorry that some applicants are therefore now facing disappointment; and Citizens Advice Rushmoor is reaching out to them to explain the cash limits, and explore other help available.
Other Help
Energy Bills Rebate Council Tax payers on bands A-D will be receiving a £150 Energy Bills Rebate via the Government – local authorities will determine how this is managed, and you will be notified about this separately in late April, early May. More detail is on Council Tax Rebate to Help with Energy Bills
Energy Bill Discount Scheme Energy customers will receive a £200 cash discount on their bills this autumn, which is an interest free loan, to be paid back automatically in equal instalments over five years from 2023/24 (when wholesale gas prices are expected to fall). This aims to help spread the increased costs of prices over time to make bills more manageable.
Energy Suppliers will benefit from government funding for suppliers to pass on to their customers from October: more detail on this will be published later in the Spring.
We know that the situation can change very quickly, with new initiatives and funds being made available at short notice. Please keep watch on the news and on this page, where we which we will continue to update. Where we have specific information, we will contact individuals directly about other schemes they may be eligible for.
We of course will continue to help people experiencing financial hardship, in particular to ensure they are receiving the right benefits, and to help with your energy supplier problems, manage debt and other related issues. Please go to our contact page if you need any further help, or visit our website pages on energy which is updated daily.