On heating oil or LPG but not got your £200 payment yet? You can now apply

In December last year, the Government announced it would pay a one-off £200 Alternative Fuel Payment – in addition to the £400 energy bill support – to help those who won't benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee on gas rates. Those eligible include households which use heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), tank or bottled gas, or solid fuels (such as wood or charcoal) to heat their homes, as an alternative to gas.

See full info on the £200 scheme, plus the full list of other help available in our step-by-step Energy bills help guide.

Most eligible households should have received the £200 payment automatically – but some haven't

The energy firms told us that most households using alternative fuels should now have received the additional £200, including all households in Northern Ireland (who received a one-off £600 payment made up of the £400 energy bill support and £200 Alternative Fuel Payment).

However, some households have fallen through the cracks, despite having an electricity supplier and using alternative heating fuels, as there is no central database of homes that use alternative fuels. 

To identify those households eligible for automatic payment, the Government used a combination of so-called 'Meter Point Administration Numbers' – which are used to identify individual electricity supply points – along with census data and data on the number of households without a gas meter point.

The Government provided this list to all the UK electricity suppliers, which have then used this to pay the £200 alternative fuel payment to eligible households. Some households have not been included on this list in error, and therefore the electricity suppliers have been unable to make the payment to all those eligible. In which case, you must now apply through the online Government portal. We've got the details of how to do this below.

Earlier this year, we heard from a number of MoneySavers that should have got it automatically from their supplier, but didn't: 

If you've not got the payment, but think you're eligible, you can now apply to get it - the deadline is 31 May

Most of the major energy suppliers have told us the £200 payment was made automatically in February to those identified as eligible by the Government.

If you think you're eligible and have an electricity supplier, first check your bank or energy account if you pay by direct debt, on receipt of a bill or have a smart prepayment. If you're on a traditional prepayment meter, vouchers should have been sent by text, email or post.

If you've not got it, or you have heating fuel and you're completely off-grid (so you don't have an electricity supplier), you can apply to get the £200 payment via an online portal on the Gov.uk website, which launched on 6 March. For those without online access, you can call 0808 175 3287 (0808 175 3894 in Northern Ireland), 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

You'll need to provide the following when you apply:

• an email address

• phone number (if you have one)

• bank account details (for the payment to be made into)

• proof of purchase of alternative fuels since 1 June 2022 (for example, a delivery note or receipt) totalling at least £200. You can upload a maximum of 10 (this was increased from two) documents in your application. Your proof of purchase must include:

  - your address

  - the type of fuel purchased

  - date of purchase

  - name and address of fuel supplier

  - total amount spent

• If you're not registered for council tax, you'll also need to provide proof of address, such as a bank statement or tenancy agreement. 

You must apply by 31 May 2023. 

Energy secretary tweaks application requirements after appearing on Martin's show

Many have reported issues regarding the number of receipts you can upload as part of your application, or what you can do if you don't have a proof of purchase. For example, houseboat dwellers will buy small amounts of heating fuel on a more regular basis, as they've nowhere to store large volumes of fuel. Therefore they will likely need to submit more than two receipts to prove £200 has been spent. Others have told us they buy fuel as part of a weekly grocery shop and don't keep the receipts.

Energy secretary Grant Shapps appeared on ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live on 7 March, saying he would look into the issues regarding receipts. On 8 March, the energy secretary announced the number of receipts you can submit had increased from two to 10.

We had also heard of some who bulk buy fuel in advance for the year and didn't have proof of purchase dated on or after September 2022.

Initially, the Government told us that this cut-off date wouldn't be changing, adding that those who bought alternative fuel before September 2022 had enough time to buy more and obtain proof of purchase to be able to apply before the scheme closes on 31 May 2023.

However, on 12 April, the Government confirmed it would now accept receipts dating back to 1 June 2022. Mr Shapps said this latest change was made because "we recognise many households will have bought ahead of winter".

When will I get the £200 payment?

You should receive an email or letter within six weeks of applying, confirming whether you'll get the payment. If eligible, you'll be paid the £200 by your local authority via bank transfer.

If your application is cancelled, you'll be told the reason why, and you'll be able to reapply. An application may be cancelled if you haven't provided sufficient evidence, you've already been paid the alternative fuel payment through your electricity supplier, or you've already applied for it through your local authority.

However, if your application is rejected, it unfortunately means you are not eligible for the £200 payment and you won't be able to reapply.