The leaders of 34 of the country’s leading housing associations have called for more targeted support to help millions of people with their energy bills this winter.
The housing associations, which provide homes for more than 1.5 million households, wrote to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero last Thursday calling for more support through the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Energy Bills Discount Scheme for winter 2023-2024.
They said this support should be targeted at those on low incomes and the 1.7 million households who are living in fuel poverty and are not registered for benefits.
The letter also calls for the expansion of eligibility for the Warm Homes Discount to include households on heat networks and without a direct relationship with an electricity supplier this winter.
The housing association leaders also called for the extension of the the application deadline for Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding from 31st May until 31st December 2023.
‘These three changes would make a huge difference to support those most in need this winter,’ the letter concluded.
