New energy grants to support Gypsy and Traveller people with costs

PLEASE NOTE: Itinerant Boaters (on a boat with a continuous cruising licence), and Gypsies and Travellers living on roadside camps are not eligible for either of the below grants. We are continuing talks with the Department of Energy and will provide an update if this changes. 

Two new energy discount grants are being rolled out nationally at the end of February, which could help Gypsy and Traveller communities with rising energy bills.

The discounts available are the Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) and the Energy Bill Support Scheme – Alternative Funding (EBSS-AF). Applications for both are now open. 

• The Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) is a £200 grant for people who are not on the main gas grid and use alternative fuels, such as bottled gas, to heat their homes.

If you are eligible and have a contract with your electricity supplier, you should receive the AFP payment automatically and don’t need to apply.

If you did not receive the grant automatically at the end of February, go to GOV.UK and type ‘Apply for alternative fuel bill support if you do not get it automatically’ into the search bar to access the application process.

Households that are only partially connected to the gas or electricity grid, or are not connected at all, will also need to apply.

• The Energy Bill Support Scheme-Alternative Funding (EBSS-AF) grant is a £400 payment for people without a direct relationship with electricity suppliers.

This could be people living on local authority or private sites, or if you are a permanently moored Boater, AND your landlord holds a commercial contract with the energy supplier.

People who did not receive the £67 monthly payment under the Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS), should now be able to receive the EBSS – AF, as long as they do not have a direct relationship with their electricity supplier.

The EBSS-AF payment is not automatic, and you must apply to receive it. 

To apply, go to GOV.UK and type ‘Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically’ into the search bar.

For support with the online application, contact the EBSS helpline on 0808 175 3287 from Monday – Friday, 8am-6pm.

ENDS

About Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)

Friends, Families and Travellers is a leading national charity that works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life.

Media Contact

Communications Team

Email: comms@gypsy-traveller.org

Additional Resources

How to apply for energy bill support for Gypsies and Travellers. Friends, Families and Travellers. March 2023. Watch.

UK Government Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) grant. GOV.UK. February 2023. View here.

UK Government Energy Bill Support Scheme – Alternative Funding (EBSS-AF). GOV.UK. February 2023. View here.