Warm Home Discount scheme £140, a word of warning

[sealiphone]

Gov low income scheme and you can have £140 credited to your utility account, if your poor. Sounds great but I've just been speaking to my friend and it's caused him a massive problem.

This scheme is administered by British Gas but you can qualify with other suppliers. B Gas told my friend £140 credited, so he turned up his heating during winter, which is all gas.

Now he's been informed direct debit payment for gas gone up from £44 per month to £74, due to increased usage. There is a £60 credit on his gas account but having that back is little help to an additional £360 per annum he's having to pay.

He receives ESA and as a TBI his financial situation won't get better, as he'll never work again, somethings messed up here, Kafka comes to mind.

He's totally stressed a depressed by this absurdity.

[Stilltrying_]

Yes it seems Gas has gone up massively in price and I have had to change from British Gas too as they were increasing my monthly payments by a ridiculous amount. He needs to swop supplier. Look on the swop websites to see what a reduction he can get by changing supplier. British Gas are very expensive supplier now.

[RobHH]

They might have put up the direct debit payment by £30, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's using an extra £360 a year - the utility companies do this all the time. If you've used, say £40 extra one quarter, their computer will work out you need to pay a ridiculous amount extra to cover this increased usage. It also assumes you'll use the same amount of gas in summer as in winter. They also time these calculations just after winter so the usage they take into account is the highest possible.

If you can, have a look at how much he is currently in debit on the utility account and how much he's likely to use over a year - then you can ask them to adjust the payment (I always get them to change it, usually back to what I was paying before as I know my direct debit payments in summer will cover the amount I'm in debit after the winter usage).

[sealiphone in reply to RobHH]

Yes that was the problem I failed to explain it properly first time. His extra usage had been seasonally adjusted over a future 12 month period. The issue of £360 was the extra amount they wanted and he couldn't afford to pay an extra £30 each month.

Anyway after some exploration established they wouldn't accept this was a one off short period increased consumption and the £60 credit wouldn't be refunded. I do think if I could have been bothered going up the food chain common sense may have won.

However I'd lost the will to live after a couple of minutes so I said my thanks and found a new supplier same price he paid for both gas and electric originally, even with the increased consumption figures given by Sainsbury Energy and of course he'll get his £60 back.

He'll apply again for the £140 around October and this time we know he can have his heating as high as last winter with out all the stress, it's a 12 month fixed term deal.

So in 12 months time when he switches he should get back at least £140.

It's become clear to me that this is part of the Gov policy of encouraging competition in the market and supplier switching.

[RobHH]

That's good news. I can't remember the last time I was with British Gas, but I switch often and I've never had the problems with the other suppliers you've had with them.

He's fortunate he's got you to help him with it - I can imagine what it's like for people who don't have anyone to help them, particularly those who are older and/or more vulnerable.

[sealiphone in reply to RobHH]

His supplier was Sainsbury, you don't have to be with B Gas to get the £140 payment. Next round of applications will start around Sept/Oct I think Gov. site:

gov.uk/the-warm-home-discou...

[Lynw17]

British Gas are useless.... I was in rented accommodation and moved out in February 2017.... my ex landlord told me not to worry about the gas but changed the account details in July 2017 without my knowledge .. I have now been left with a bill of over a thousand pounds.... I went to CAB explaining what had happened and they applied for a grant to help.... they replied saying that the grant money had already been used up for the year.... within two weeks of their financial year. I am retired on ill health grounds and am in receipt of benefits.... another headache that my brain can’t take....

[sealiphone in reply to Lynw17]

From what you say and given CAB have advised I presume this may have been due to gas you used whilst in the property so effectively your arrears.

If this isn't the case P.M. me.

[sealiphone]

I forgot to say I believe there are a number of charities who have grants specifically available to someone with a TBI, as the CAB may not have be aware of them, check with the Headway helpline: 0808 800 2244, to see if another potential source of money is available.

[Lynw17 in reply to sealiphone]

Thanks for your reply. I am currently waiting for a final resolution from CAB and British Gas having had to fill in an income/expenditure form (more forms argh!) will bear your reply in mind! If I remember......