Second homes: Cornwall owners urged to donate their £400 energy bill rebates

Second home owners with properties in Cornwall are being asked to donate a £400 government energy payout to the Duchy's most needy.

All households are set to receive the rebate, which will be discounted from energy bills from October.

But Newquay based funding platform Crowdfunder has launched a campaign encouraging those that don't need the money to donate it to local charities.

The Donate the Rebate campaign could see more than £5.4 million shared between Citizens Advice Cornwall, Cornwall Community Foundation and Newquay DISC (Drop in and Share).

Manager of Newquay DISC Monique Collins says the charity would use the money to help the most vulnerable with their rising energy bills.

She told ITV News: ''Our pot of money is not endless and we are already helping families with their gas and electric bills. Come October we're going to see a massive increase which is very worrying for us.''

The charity which helps people in crisis with emergency food and financial help has seen a 75% increase in demand on its services in the last year.

Monique says she hopes people who don't need the rebate will consider giving all or part of it to those in need.

''This rebate will come hopefully from second home owners that are well enough off to actually have a second home. For you it might be pocket money, for somebody here in Newquay it might mean they can survive the winter.''

CEO of Newquay based Crowdfunder Rob Love said he came up with the fundraising campaign after working out that an estimated £198,000,000 in rebates would be paid to 495,000 second home owners in the UK.

Rob said: ''They are one group in society that maybe should consider giving some of that to those less fortunate than themselves, and putting it back into local Cornish charities.

"We know that there are tens of millions of pounds going to people that don't need it as much as other people and this is a great way to redistribute some of that wealth.''

Citizens Advice Cornwall and Cornwall Community Foundation are also set to benefit from the project.

All UK households will get the rebate which will reduce energy bills by £400 from October.

It means everyone's utility bill will be reduced in monthly instalments over six months, with the discount made automatically by your energy supplier.