Energy Support Plan Is Widened To Help More Families

The Energy Payment Scheme, which was introduced by the government to help the most vulnerable households with paying their soaring energy bills, is being extended to give more people a helping hand.

A Total Of £600 For Struggling Households

The scheme was initially set up last May and was due to pay out £400 in support payments to help homes with the cost of living, but then another £200 was added to the payments, making a total of £600 for struggling households. This £600 has now been extended to help people who live in caravan parks, the elderly who now reside in care homes, people who live on farms and also people in private rented homes where the landlord has a business connection to the power grid.

Eligible Households Will Be Paid In The Form Of A Lump Sum

Where the rest of the UK have been getting help in the form of monthly installments here in Northern Ireland people who are eligible are getting paid in a lump sum. These payments are being rolled out as we speak with everyone hopefully getting paid by the end of this month (February).

The payments are paid in the form of a voucher which is either being sent by post or is paid directly into peoples bank accounts, depending on how they pay their electricity bills. The money will be greatly welcomed by all these households as we know how so many are struggling to put food on the table for their families.

Please note that people who are eligible do have to apply for this one off payment so it is worth checking out if your household is eligible so you can go ahead and apply ASAP.

Thankfully in another month we will have most likely seen the worst of the winter weather and we will be heading for warmer temperatures which will ease the pressure on struggling families. However businesses will still have to use large amounts of fuel and electricity to produce their goods and run their services which will put a huge strain on their finances as we move through the year. The only hope for many of these businesses is that he cost of fuel will begin to fall sooner rather than later to give them some respite. The one-off payments to households will at least put money into the pockets of many consumers who will spend this money at local businesses who in turn will reap the benefit of this.