Flawed energy bill support schemes

Government, Ofgem and energy firms claim that their schemes protect people who fall into fuel poverty. But in truth these are all unfit and unfair.

Now that it has been means-tested, the Winter Fuel Payment missed two million pensioners who are in or near poverty in 2024/5. Many of these older people have been trying to survive the winter without a safe level of heating, which has serious consequences in terms of illness and thousands more preventable deaths from cold homes.

Fuel Poverty Action works closely with allies such as the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) and Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) to lobby MPs and put pressure on the Government via the media to change its cruel policy of disqualifying so many pensioners from an allowance that they relied on.

The Warm Home Discount of £150 is inadequate when average annual energy bills are over £1800, and it only goes to those on means-tested benefits. So the same two million pensioners will miss out on this too! And disabled people with higher energy needs, and those with expensive electric heating, are left in the cold even under the expaned scheme announced in February 2025. We will be working with our allies and supporters to highlight the weaknesses in the proposals.

Debt-writeoff schemes are another poor solution to excessive energy pricing. As customers, we pay for them through increased bills, and it’s a lottery whether you get £1500 or £0. Write-off schemes also completely ignore the suffering of those who turn off their heating to avoid going into debt. Energy firms, Ofgem and Government like these schemes as they help cover up inflated energy pricing, and are funded by us.

Energy pricing needs fundamental reform – we need Energy For All!