Prepayment energy customers could get up to £1,700 support

Some prepayment customers could be entitled to up to £1,700 to assist with their energy bills.

It comes as the new energy price cap took effect on July 1, featuring a 7% reduction to £1,720 per year for a typical dual-fuel household. Despite this being a significant decrease from the previous price cap of £1,849 some energy customers may still experience considerable financial strain.

This might particularly affect the many prepayment meter customers who are in some degree of debt with their supplier. Ofgem's most recent figures reveal that over 50% of prepayment customers were in debt with their supplier by the end of 2024.

Fortunately, support is available for customers with debt through the British Gas Energy Trust. This fuel poverty charity can offer up to £1,700 for eligible prepayment customers who are behind on payments with their energy supplier.

The Individuals and Families Fund provides aid for those in arrears with any supplier, provided they do not have their own support scheme in place.

Jessica Taplin, CEO of the British Gas Energy Trust, highlighted a stark reality for prepayment meter users, stating: "Unlike customers who pay by direct debit, those on prepayment meters often see their debts taken immediately from any credit they add. That means they can run out of energy more quickly, and risk slipping into a cycle of debt that's much harder to escape. Our Individuals and Families Fund provides life-changing grants to households facing this cycle, and we encourage anyone to check the criteria and apply."

Who is eligible for the grant

The Individual and Families Fund is exclusively open to prepayment meter customers. The charity outlines that applicants must meet the following criteria:

• You have a household income of less than £18,723 or someone in the household is registered disabled and receives a disability benefit or receives Carers Allowance or has 3+ children
• You have not received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last 2 years
• The fund is open to British Gas customers and customers of other suppliers
• Prepayment customers must owe between £50 - £1,700 in energy debt
• Customers of OVO, Boost, Eon, Eon Next, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus, Shell Energy, SSE, Utilita and Utility Warehouse - these suppliers have their own energy support funds, please apply directly to them. You can only apply to the Individuals and Families Fund if you have already applied to your suppliers Fund and have been declined (evidence will be required)
• You are a prepayment meter customer living in England, Scotland or Wales. The fund is closed to credit account customers

Further details on eligibility can be found on the British Gas Energy Trust site here.

How to apply for the grant

You can send in an application for the fund through charity's website. This can be done by either creating an account yourself or having an agent do it for you with their account.

Once you have an account set up, you should follow the instructions on screen to complete the application process.