Thousands have missed energy support payment, here's how you can claim it

It was reported recently that one in five people did not redeem their £66 energy support voucher for November, new data from Paypoint shows.

The vouchers are part of the £400 energy support package for the winter months, which is then spread out over six months. Those with a traditional prepayment meter need to redeem the vouchers manually and the voucher for November expired on Sunday, with only 81% of them redeemed.

Energy Support Vouchers

The energy support scheme is applied automatically for those who pay by direct debit, standard credit or have a smart prepayment meter but those with a traditional meter will get a voucher or credit top up.

The vouchers are sent by post, email or text message and typically last 90 days before expiring. They need to be redeemed through Paypoint or at a Post Office and recent data shows that thousands of people have failed to do so.

Steve O'Neill, corporate affairs and marketing director at PayPoint, explained the situation, as per The Mirror:

Last November's EBSS (energy bill support scheme) vouchers have now expired and overall redemptions are consistent with October vouchers at 81%.

Our 28,000 retailer partners across the UK have once again done a fantastic job in supporting their local communities and delivering this vital support.

Final redemptions of over four in five recipients is generally considered a good result for Government voucher schemes, based on others like the warm home discount.

Read more:

⋙ People are shocked to find out how numbers on the boiler can help you save on energy bills

⋙ £400 offered to hundreds of thousands to help with energy bills, check if you qualify

What to do if your voucher has expired

The October and November vouchers have now expired but the December vouchers are valid until 8 March and the January vouchers are valid until 9 April.

If you have an expired voucher, it is possible for it to be reissued. You will need to talk to your energy supplier about this. It should have been explained to you before October 2022 how you would get your discount.

If you received a reissued voucher, it will be valid for another 90 days from the date they're reissued but all vouchers must be redeemed by 30 June 2023.

Energy firms are being encouraged to provide as much support as possible, as Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, explains, as per Which?:

As an urgent priority, the government and energy suppliers must work together to share best practice and quickly improve the scheme to ensure that all customers on prepayment meters – who are more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes – are able to access this vital support without further delay.

The government should also set out a clear process for the reissuing of any expired or lost vouchers to ensure this works well for customers.

If you are on a traditional prepayment meter and haven’t received your vouchers, or are unsure how to redeem them, you should get in touch with your supplier as soon as possible for more information and to make sure it has the correct contact details.

So get in touch with your energy supplier if you haven't received your vouchers and ask for them to be reissued. It's also worth checking your email, including your spam or junk folder, in case you have missed them.

Read more:

⋙ Millions of households to receive new £200 payment, check if you're eligible

Sources used:

- The Mirror 'Warning as one in five £66 energy vouchers expired without being used'

- Which? 'One in five energy vouchers for November 2022 haven't been claimed'