British Gas to give customers up to £2,000 off of bills – check if you qualify
A major energy company is reopening a grants scheme that could see hard-up households getting up to £2,000 off their bills this winter.
The British Gas Energy Support Fund, an independent charity that funds frontline advice services in local communities, will begin accepting new applications from Monday, November 4, with grants given to customers facing difficulties paying their bills, The Birmingham Live reports.
Successful applicants could receive a grant of up to £2,000 to help with outstanding debts. The fund restarting on Monday is only for British Gas customers.
Any customer of British Gas or Scottish Gas – the name the company trades under in Scotland – is eligible for support.
The £2k boost is more than £500 more than what was available to households last winter.
To be eligible, customers must reside in England, Scotland, or Wales and have not received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust in the past 12 months.
You must also have either a credit or prepayment meter with an outstanding account debt to be considered.
The application will also ask for proof of income which will be assessed alongside household outgoings to assess whether you’re in or at risk of fuel poverty, as per The Sun.
In addition, must show they’ve been getting help from a money advice or guidance agency within the last six months from charities like StepChange or Citizens Advice. To apply, or find out more about the requirements, visit britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/grants-available.
Jessica Taplin, chief executive of the British Gas Energy Trust, said in a statement this week: “Since the Trust was founded 20 years ago, it has made significant difference to the lives of the most financially vulnerable people in communities across Britain.
“The ongoing cost of living crisis will continue to hit the poorest people the hardest and, as an organisation, our ambition is to deliver the help and support needed to break the cycle of energy deprivation and help people avoid the burden of energy debt.
“We are forever grateful for the support we receive from British Gas as their funding makes all our work possible.
The £20 million donation will allow us to continue to help people in financial hardship meet their energy needs and improve their money management skills.”
The charity has another fund to help customers with other suppliers facing difficulties, called the Individuals and Families Fund.
“If you are a customer of one of these energy providers, please apply to them directly. The British Gas Energy Trust cannot consider any applications from these suppliers, even if you do not meet your energy companies’ eligibility criteria.
“For British Gas customers, your balance will be verified with British Gas as part of the application process and if it exceeds the arrears threshold of £1,700, your application will be declined.”
You can find out about eligibility criteria here.
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