The Almshouse Association has received a response from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to our letter sent regarding support for almshouse charities during the current cost of living crisis.
We raised a number of points from members concerning communal heat networks, the £400 energy bill grant and the energy price cap. In its response, BEIS states the following:
- On communal heat networks
“The government wants heat network consumers to receive equal protection to gas and electricity consumers. That is why we announced at the Queen’s Speech on 10 May that a forthcoming Energy Security Bill will regulate the heat networks sector and that Ofgem will be appointed as regulator… This will secure fair pricing for domestic heat network customers as well as ensuring heat network operators are securing good purchasing deals for their consumers. This will mean that consumers are charged a fair rate for heating whilst encouraging investment in heat networks.”
- On the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme
“Through the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS), all domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will get £400 off their bills from October. We appreciate your concern about individual households not receiving the rebate as a result of the shared bill. Government is working on how to provide equivalent levels of support to those consumers without domestic electricity supply and we will provide further details shortly. Please also be made aware that households in England which are in council tax bands A-D will also receive a £150 rebate. The rebate to bills is being made directly by local authorities and started from this past April. This will benefit around 80% of all homes in England, including eligible heat network consumers.”
- On the Household Support Fund
“The extension provides an additional £500 million for the Household Support Fund from April, bringing total funding to £1.5 billion since October 2021. The expectation is that the HSF should primarily be used to support households in the most need with food, energy and water bills. It can also be used to support households with essential costs related to those items and with wider essential costs. The scheme covers a wide range of vulnerable households including those with children of all ages and those without children. Households receiving other forms of assistance are not excluded from receiving support through this grant.”
The Association is glad that government is considering how support can be offered to charities running communal networks and shared bills. As outlined, if charities are running communal heat networks, then residents should receive £400 off their bills as long as they are a domestic electricity customer, however, the response still fails to provide the necessary certainty members need for the months ahead.
We will be making further representations to government stating that we need clear answers now.
Posted 27 June 22