£400 Energy Support Scheme Payment May Not be Paid Here Before Christmas

Q Radio News

Plans to offer households in Northern Ireland a £400 one-off payment to help with energy costs have been thrown into uncertainty after the NI Utility Regulator said it may no longer be offered as a lump sum.

The UK government payment is aimed at helping householders meet the cost of energy bills ahead of the winter months, and was to follow the introduction of the Energy Price Guarantee Scheme that came into effect on Monday.

Former UK prime minister Liz Truss had previously announced the £400 payment under the Energy Bills Support Scheme would be available in the  by this month.

The scheme was opened to households in Great Britain at last month.

It emerged on Tuesday that the UK government indicated to the Utility Regulator that the offer may no longer be made as a one-off payment, and no dates have yet been agreed on when households would receive any of the funding.

The utility watchdog's director of retail and consumer protection Kevin Shiels told the BBC last night that it may be as late as the new year before payments are received.

A £100 credit payment to be offered to home heating oil customers is also no longer expected until January.

"The final decision on whether it's going to be a £400 one-off lump sum or a series of, say, three payment of £130 hasn't been made yet," he said of the bill support offer, adding that a decision was now expected "in the next few weeks".

Mr Shiels said he spoke with government representatives yesterday, adding: "I'm still hopeful that it will be this side of Christmas, but can't guarantee anything in terms of when it's going to be delivered, whether it's November, December or January."

The introduction of the Energy Price Guarantee Scheme in Northern Ireland this week saw firms announcing automatic significant cuts for customers, with the scheme backdated until October 1.

UK business and energy secretary Grant Shapps said both that and the £400 bill support scheme were designed to "help ease the pressures facing families"