On heating oil, LPG or other fuels? Check if you can get £200 towards your bills as Government expands support scheme

Most households using alternative fuels as their main heating source should have already got their £200 Alternative Fuel Payment automatically.If you didn't – for example, because you're fully off-grid or because your electricity supplier didn't have the right details – you need to apply to get the cash, which includes submitting proof of purchase.

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

What's changed with Alternative Fuel Payments

From today (12 April), those who need to apply for the £200 grant can use receipts going back to 1 June 2022 as evidence that you heat your home with alternative fuels.

Previously, you could only use receipts dated September 2022 or later. This had meant some who bulk bought fuel for the year in advance had been left out of the support.

This is the second tweak to the scheme, following an earlier change which meant you could submit up to 10 individual receipts as part of the application instead of just two. It came after MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis flagged the issue to energy secretary Grant Shapps on an episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

If you think you're eligible for the payment but haven't got it, apply by 31 May

If you didn't get your £200 payment from your electricity supplier, or you're completely off-grid (so you don't have an electricity supplier), you can apply to get the £200 payment through the online portal on Gov.uk.

For those without online access, you can call 0808 175 3287 (0808 175 3894 in Northern Ireland), 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

It's worth noting that most major energy suppliers told us the £200 payment was made automatically in February to those identified as eligible by the Government – so if you have an electricity supplier, first check your bank or energy account to see if you got the payment before applying. If you're on a traditional (non-smart) prepayment meter, you should have received a voucher by text, email or post.

For full info and help, see our Alternative fuel payment applications MSE News story.