Application for £400 energy support scheme denied.

[Bedsitter]

Because I didn't get the payment automatically through my smart meter, I applied for the payment using the new Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding form.

The reason I didnt get it through my smart meter is because i dont have an account with an electricity supplier. The smart meter is a secondary meter that collects money for electricity used and is then paid to the landlord and they pay the electric supplier.

I was denied payment from the scheme and they said my local authority has to approve it and they didnt. The reason my local authority would not approve the funding is because the building in which i live has 3 flats and 3 bedsits and is classed as an HMO (houses in multiple occupation), and according to guidelines HMOs are not eligible for the payment even thought we pay for electric through smart meters just as much as anyone who is eligible.

The alternative payment was set up for those who dont have contracts with suppliers, and yet we still cant get the payment.


Is that it or is there anything I can do to get this payment?

Thanks

[tesla6518]

Look at the main meter, take the serial number and there will also be other numbers on it which will give who the energy supplier is. I am sorry I cannot be specific about which number identifies the vendor. you may be lucky and there maybe indications who it is on labels etc.

Then phone the company and ask what type of account consumer/commercial is in place. they cannot deny this as there is nothing commercially sensitive about the info

hope this helps on your quest.

[echat11]

I queried this with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, here is their reply:

“The EBSS AF is available to households in Great Britain who do not have a domestic electricity
supply and were not eligible to receive support automatically through the Energy Bills Support
Scheme (EBSS), providing them with £400 to support them with their energy bills.

Whether you would be eligible for the EBSS AF depends on whether the intermediary, such as
your landlord, who provides your electricity has a domestic or commercial electricity supply. If
the intermediary who supplies your electricity has a domestic electricity contract, they will have
received the £400 EBSS discount automatically from their electricity supplier. In this case, they
would need to ensure this is passed through to you and the other residents supplied via this
contract in a just and reasonable manner, with the discount split fairly between the residents.

If the intermediary who supplies your electricity has a commercial electricity contract, you may
be eligible to apply for the EBSS AF support if you meet the full eligibility requirements. If you
and the other residents who are supplied electricity through this commercial electricity contract
have separate flats or dwellings which your local authority can establish as being self-contained
(e.g. through council tax records or by having separate postal addresses), each occupant will
be eligible to apply for their £400 support separately. For example, if each flat has a postal
address of ‘Flat 1’ or ‘Flat 2’ in ‘5 New Road’.

If your dwelling and the dwellings of the other occupants of the property cannot be established
by the local authority as being self-contained (e.g. each occupant resides in a room of ‘5 New
Road’), only one £400 support payment can be provided to the property. For example, if each
occupant has a room in ‘5 New Road’, only one occupant can apply for the EBSS AF support,
and the £400 payment must be split fairly between the residents.”


From that response it seems that being a HMO has nothing to do with it. It all comes down to if the landlord has a domestic or commercial contract with the electricity supplier.

How do I find out which contract my landlord has; bear in mind that no one can get a reply from him about other issues.

You have rights, the landlord has responsibilities, hold them to account.
Say a Health & Safety issue needs to be sorted urgently, if he doesn't respond then that could have serious consequences.

Is there anything in your tenancy agreement?

Also does the following help: -

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information...twork-operator

[Bedsitter]

I queried this with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, here is their reply:

“The EBSS AF is available to households in Great Britain who do not have a domestic electricity
supply and were not eligible to receive support automatically through the Energy Bills Support
Scheme (EBSS), providing them with £400 to support them with their energy bills.

Whether you would be eligible for the EBSS AF depends on whether the intermediary, such as
your landlord, who provides your electricity has a domestic or commercial electricity supply. If
the intermediary who supplies your electricity has a domestic electricity contract, they will have
received the £400 EBSS discount automatically from their electricity supplier. In this case, they
would need to ensure this is passed through to you and the other residents supplied via this
contract in a just and reasonable manner, with the discount split fairly between the residents.

If the intermediary who supplies your electricity has a commercial electricity contract, you may
be eligible to apply for the EBSS AF support if you meet the full eligibility requirements. If you
and the other residents who are supplied electricity through this commercial electricity contract
have separate flats or dwellings which your local authority can establish as being self-contained
(e.g. through council tax records or by having separate postal addresses), each occupant will
be eligible to apply for their £400 support separately. For example, if each flat has a postal
address of ‘Flat 1’ or ‘Flat 2’ in ‘5 New Road’.

If your dwelling and the dwellings of the other occupants of the property cannot be established
by the local authority as being self-contained (e.g. each occupant resides in a room of ‘5 New
Road’), only one £400 support payment can be provided to the property. For example, if each
occupant has a room in ‘5 New Road’, only one occupant can apply for the EBSS AF support,
and the £400 payment must be split fairly between the residents.”


From that response it seems that being a HMO has nothing to do with it. It all comes down to if the landlord has a domestic or commercial contract with the electricity supplier.

How do I find out which contract my landlord has; bear in mind that no one can get a reply from him about other issues.

[echat11]

Thats easier said than done. The landlord is some group down in London who bought the property and they use an agency up here in manachester to manage the property. The agency say they cant get in touch with landlord about other issues we have, so im expecting the same response for this one.

Ask the Council to investigate. The Scheme is there to help the people that need the help, not company's who rent out properties. As a tenant you have rights, you have to 'exercise' those rights.

[Bedsitter]

I would personally find out if the landlord has received any payments. I would 'hazard' a guess, that he has.
That doesn't help his 'tenants'.

Thats easier said than done. The landlord is some group down in London who bought the property and they use an agency up here in manachester to manage the property. The agency say they cant get in touch with landlord about other issues we have, so im expecting the same response for this one.

[echat11]

I would personally find out if the landlord has received any payments. I would 'hazard' a guess, that he has.
That doesn't help his 'tenants'.

[Bedsitter]

There are three flats, so multiple people live in each flat, but they all get their energy from a single smart meter, is that correct? I could be wrong in this regard, but the property would only be allowed one payment under the Scheme.

''A government spokesman tells LandlordZONE: Under EBSS AF, houses in multiple occupation would only be eligible for one payment for the whole property in line with the main EBSS scheme, rather than one payment per person.''

https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/...upport-scheme/

I'd find out, who has claimed it for the property? If it has been claimed, then has it been passed on, so reducing the tenants bills, so everyone benefits from the £400.

It is a old house converted into flats and bedsits. Each flat and bedsit has one person living in it. Their is a main meter that landlord has access to and he has contract with supplier.. Each flat and bedsit has a secondary meter off the main meter and each tenant pays their own electric using their own meter. According to local authority, the entire building is classed as a HMO so no one in the building is entitled.

I always thought a HMO would be a house share where people just rent a bedroom and share rest of house and pay set amount to landlord for bills in the rent. But it seems house conversions fall into that catagory too. The flats are self contained, the bedsits are mostly self contained and have their own kitchens but share bathroom/toilet.

The annoying thing is, if our meters were direct to supplier instead of secondary meters, we all would have had the payments as it was done through the meters and being in a HMO would not have been an issue.

[echat11]

There are three flats, so multiple people live in each flat, but they all get their energy from a single smart meter, is that correct? I could be wrong in this regard, but the property would only be allowed one payment under the Scheme.

''A government spokesman tells LandlordZONE: Under EBSS AF, houses in multiple occupation would only be eligible for one payment for the whole property in line with the main EBSS scheme, rather than one payment per person.''

https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/...upport-scheme/

I'd find out, who has claimed it for the property? If it has been claimed, then has it been passed on, so reducing the tenants bills, so everyone benefits from the £400.