Energy companies won’t automatically give struggling customers £49 vouchers

A post on Facebook shared almost 1,500 times claims that anyone with less than £4 on a prepayment energy meter (also known as a pay-as-you-go meter), who is struggling financially, can call their supplier and ask for a £49 fuel voucher. 

The post claims that this can be applied for twice a year, with no need to repay, and explains that a PIN number is sent to your phone which can then be shown at “your top up shop with your gas card or electric key”. It adds: “Our energy companies do not advertise this scheme.”

Full Fact contacted a number of energy companies, with OVO, SSE Energy Services, E.ON, Bulb and Shell Energy all confirming that they do not run the scheme described in the post. 

While fuel vouchers do exist, Matthew Cole, the head of the Fuel Bank Foundation, told Full Fact: “There's no guarantee of entitlement for fuel bank help, it's not part of the welfare state. There's no guarantee you're entitled to fuel vouchers.” 

He added that to claim otherwise: “Just raises expectation […] or disappointment for lots of people. They think there's a safety net they can access which actually doesn't exist.”

The wording of the post is almost identical to posts we checked in February, except this version inaccurately specifies that people should contact their energy supplier. 

This version of the post was published on Facebook in December, but has recently been reshared as households in the UK face significant increases in energy prices. 

What support is available if you’re struggling to pay energy bills? 

Mr Cole told us that people who were facing difficulties paying for their energy should contact their supplier as, while customers may not automatically be eligible for a £49 voucher, they could be entitled to other forms of support. 

He said: “The message to talk to your supplier is really important because [...]  if your supplier knows you're struggling, they might be able to do something to help you, they might have additional support they could signpost you towards or maybe something more physical. 

“If you don't speak to your supplier until a crisis happens it becomes really difficult, so speak to your supplier in advance of any situation arising.”

Earlier this year it was reported that £49 vouchers had been made available to some households in Halton, Cheshire, as part of a wider package of support available through local authorities, not energy suppliers. This funding was made available through the government’s Household Support Scheme, which is currently due to end in September 2022, after being extended. 

As we’ve previously written, a search for £49 vouchers used to return a PDF leaflet from the Fuel Bank Foundation offering the voucher, but a spokesperson for the charity told us that while the voucher is genuine, it would only be given to people who had already had their needs independently assessed by a third party such as a local authority and food bank.

A spokesperson for British Gas told Full Fact that anyone with a prepayment meter, regardless of supplier, can receive a fuel voucher from the British Gas Energy Trust, which is independent from British Gas itself but is fully funded by the company.  

However in order to receive the voucher, applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements and provide proof of their financial situation. The spokesperson explained that “qualifying customers can receive up to a maximum of £150 between now and 31st March 2023”, though available funding may differ across different regions.

There are also a number of government-run schemes available to support people to pay their energy bills. 

From October, households across Great Britain will start to receive a non-repayable discount on their energy bills, totalling £400 over the course of six months. Customers who pay their bill via standard credit, payment card and direct debit will see their bill automatically reduced, while customers on prepayment meters will receive a voucher. 

Some households in Great Britain may be eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme, through which eligible people can get a one-off £140 discount on (or equivalent voucher toward) their energy bill covering the period from October to March. This scheme does not run in Northern Ireland, though there is other support available such as the Affordable Warmth Scheme.

Some households may also be eligible for support such as the Cold Weather Payments scheme and the Winter Fuel Payment scheme. 

For more information on financial support for paying energy bills, including grants to tackle energy debt or help directly from suppliers, visit Citizens Advice. 

Image courtesy of Kwon Junho