Letter to the Chancellor: Unredeemed Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers. 

Fuel Bank Foundation is a national charity dedicated to supporting households across the UK that can’t afford to top up their prepayment gas and/or electricity meter and, as a result, are at risk of, or are already living without, heat, light and power in their homes. 

To date, we have supported more than 800,000 people, a third of whom have been helped since April last year, such has been the devastating impact of rising energy prices and the cost-of-living crisis on low-income households. 

We acknowledge and welcome the Government’s package of support to ease the financial pressure on households during the peak winter months. However, we are aware that some prepayment meter customers still haven’t received, or are having difficulty redeeming, the Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) vouchers. 

 Efforts must be redoubled to connect funds to households that are currently missing out on this much-needed support, including ensuring the value of the unredeemed vouchers is credited to the accounts of people who are entitled to them. 

If, at the end of this exercise, there are still monies that can’t be reunited with their intended recipient, they should go to charities, such as Fuel Bank Foundation, rather than being returned to HM Treasury. 

In this way, you can be confident the money will still be used for what it was originally intended; to support vulnerable households with their fuel bills through what remains a difficult and challenging time. 

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Cole