What is it?

The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) is a government scheme which offers payments of £200 to households that use alternative fuels to the gas grid as their main source of heating.  This includes households that use tank or bottled gas, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), heating oil, wood or other solid fuel.

The money is intended to ensure that households using alternative fuels are not left with a higher percentage increase to their heating costs compared to those using mains gas who are supported by the Energy Price Guarantee.

Most households on alternative fuels will have already received this payment through their electricity supplier in February. But there are a number of households that don’t have a direct contract with an electricity supplier as so they will need to make a claim under the AFP Alternative Fundingscheme.

Who is it for?

The government has advised that provided they can provide sufficient proof of address, receipt of fuel costs, and are not otherwise ineligible, households eligible for AFP Alternative Fund may include: 

• park home residents. 
• housing association, social and private tenants, and leaseholders, supplied via a landlord with a commercial meter. 
• households in house boats on residential moorings
• households on a private electricity network, for example those supplied by a heat network. 
• Off-grid households. 
• traveller households on authorised sites. 
• households in temporary/supported accommodation

Can residents qualify for this and the Energy Bills Support Scheme?

Yes, although if they aren’t receiving the money for the schemes automatically, then they will need to submit separate claims.

How do people make a claim for AFP Alternative Funding?

People will need to submit a claim on the Government website at https://www.gov.uk/apply-alternative-fuel-bill-support-if-not-automatic

The government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will then carry out checks to confirm that the households isn’t on the gas grid and hasn’t received a payment through their electricity supplier. West Suffolk Council and Anglia Revenues Partnership will then complete final checks and make payments.

Applications will close on 31 May 2023.