British Gas offering households up to £2,000 support with energy bills

The British Gas Energy Support Fund has reopened

British Gas has relaunched its Energy Support Fund, providing households across England, Scotland and Wales with grants of up to £2,000 to help tackle their energy bills. The funding scheme is open to existing British Gas customers facing energy debt or who are at risk of fuel poverty this winter.

Those eligible include households owing between £50 and £2,000 on a pre-payment meter, or £250 to £2,000 on a credit account. Applicants must have previously sought help from a money advice agency within the past six months, or used the online budgeting tool available through an application.

British Gas customers meeting these requirements can submit their application through the British Gas Energy Trust website, reports Lancs Live. The Energy Support Fund helped almost 6,000 households throughout England, Scotland, and Wales last year.

Meanwhile, non-British Gas customers may qualify for support through its Individuals and Families Fund, which offers assistance for those battling energy debt up to £1,700 on either prepayment or credit accounts. Chris O’Shea, Chief Executive of Centrica, which owns British Gas, said: “As winter approaches, we know that rising household bills are a real worry for many people across the UK.

“We want our customers to know that we’re here to support them. Tackling energy debt and fuel poverty is a priority for us and we’re making sure help is available when it’s needed most. We’ve committed £140 million, the UK’s largest voluntary energy support package, to help make sure no one is facing these challenges alone.

“This winter, we’ll continue to support the Trust, whose work brings real, lasting impact to people’s lives. We urge anyone who is worried about keeping their home warm this winter to apply to the fund or visit an advice centre and access the support available.”

The financial help arrives as millions prepare for higher energy costs this winter, with Ofgem’s price cap rising by 2% from October 1 to December 31. This means a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit will fork out £1,755 annually.

There isn’t actually a complete limit on what you can pay for energy. Your bill is still worked out based on how much gas and electricity you consume.

Instead, the Ofgem price cap limits what you can be charged for units of gas and electricity, plus standing charges, which are fixed daily fees you pay to be connected to the energy network.