Rebecca Harris has welcomed the Government’s announcement this week of further details on how energy bills support for park home residents will be delivered.
Fewer than 5% of households in Great Britain and Northern Ireland do not have a direct contract with an electricity supplier or an electricity meter of their own. This includes residents of park homes, Rebecca wrote to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy in June 2022 about the £400 grant, asking for clarification on how Park Homes residents can still benefit. The Government confirmed in August that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the 1% of households who will not be reached through the EBSS. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.
The Government has now announced that the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will open for applications in Great Britain in January 2023. Following the announcement Rebecca Harris MP has commented:
“I know many of my residents have been anxiously awaiting further news on the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. I have been told the scheme will open for applications in Great Britain in January 2023. The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant Local Authority which will likely be Castle Point Borough Council.
“As there is no single register of eligible households, payment is a complicated matter. However, the Government has worked through a number of alternative delivery options and concluded that the best way to deliver the scheme is through Local Authorities who are best placed to process applications and carry out verification checks. I will be sure to update residents again once the scheme is open and how to apply.”
Support is also needed for those reliant on off-grid gas. That is why the Government recently announced they have doubled the Alternative Fuel Payments to £200, delivering support for those in properties using fuels such as heating oil, liquified petroleum gas, coal or biomass for heating. This will ensure that households who do not benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee to heat their homes, receive support for the cost of the fuel they do use. The majority of households eligible for these payments will receive £200 automatically as a credit on their electricity bill this winter. The details of when this payment will be made will be confirmed shortly. The Government is committed to delivering this support to customers as fast as possible and will ensure that households who are eligible for but who do not receive Alternative Fuel Payment automatically, for example, because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, will be able to receive the £200 by applying online. Details of how to do this will be confirmed shortly.
There is other assistance available now, such as £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment, £650 Cost of Living payment for those on benefits and the Household Support Fund.
There was more good news for park home residents this month. Rebecca has also been frequently working with the Government to get them to deliver on their commitment to legislate to change pitch fee increases being linked to RPI to CPI and to review the 10% equity charge on the sale of a park home. Rebecca is pleased that this Bill has now cleared the House of Commons and hopes it progresses through the House of Lords quickly. Rebecca was also pleased to attend the recent Park Home Justice campaign rally in Parliament, which many of her constituents contacted her about.
To keep up to date with the latest announcements on this topic, please visit Rebecca’s website at: https://www.rebeccaharris.org/park-homes-residents-ps400-grant.
