How the £600 energy payment will be distributed in Northern Ireland

The Government says homes in Northern Ireland will start to receive a £600 energy payment from January 2023.

The rollout of the scheme to help with winter fuel costs has been delayed in the country compared to the rest of the United Kingdom.

The government again blamed the collapse of devolution and the difference in the energy market for holding up the payment.

How will it be delivered?

The money will be issued in two different ways.

Direct debit customers will receive the payment of £600 automatically into their bank account.

Other customers will receive a voucher worth £600 which they can redeem.

It is expected it will be posted out to those people that are on pre-pay meters or who pay their bills quarterly.

How many households are getting a voucher and how many the money into their bank account?

The government says the scheme will be delivered to 800,000 homes. Those people with a second home will get it twice.

The distribution of households who will receive the EBSS payments via suppliers is as follows:

• 39% who pay by direct debit

• 45% who pay via prepayment meters

• 16% who pay by credit upon receipt of a bill

The government says around 500,000 households in Northern Ireland – 61% of those eligible for support under the Energy Bills Support Scheme Northern Ireland – will receive support in the form of a voucher, as they pay via credit or prepayment meter.

Why is it £600 and not £400?

The payment will combine the £400 from the government's Energy Bills Support Scheme Northern Ireland (EBSS NI) with £200 under the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme.

That’s because households in Northern Ireland depend more on home heating oil than the rest of the UK.

Scams

Government officials are urging people not to contact their energy supplier and to be very aware of potential scams stressing no one will be asked for their bank details.

Are energy companies getting support to administer the scheme.

No. The government said, as in Great Britain, it is not providing funding support to energy companies to cover the administrative costs of these schemes.

Who should I call to get the cash?

The public have been urged not to contact their energy companies and instead wait on notification on how the money will be handed out in the new year.

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