November's vouchers for traditional prepayment meter customers expired on Sunday. But at that point only 81% of the vouchers issued had been redeemed.
That means thousands of households haven't received the government support they were entitled to. PayPoint said that October's redemption rate was similar.
If you didn't redeem October and November's vouchers, you'll be out of pocket by £132.
All energy customers are getting £400 worth of help with their bills this winter, paid in six instalments between October 2022 and March 2023. Customers paying by direct debit, or who have smart meters, get the payments automatically. But those with traditional prepayment meters have to take action to add the money to their account.
Keep reading to find out how to redeem your energy vouchers and what to do if they have expired.
How to redeem your energy voucher
The vouchers are part of a government scheme to support households with the cost of energy this winter. You get them automatically; you don't need to apply. So far, you should have had four:
You should receive them by the 17th of each month.
If you pay by direct debit, standard credit or have a smart prepayment meter, you'll get the discount automatically and don't need to do anything.
If you have a traditional prepayment meter, you'll get your discount in one of the following ways:
Your supplier should tell you where you can use your voucher. You'll usually need to take it to the Post Office or a local shop that has a PayPoint logo.
You'll need to show a UK driving license or a utility bill with a name and address that match those on your energy account.
Redeem your voucher within 90 days.
What to do if your voucher has expired
Vouchers expire 90 days after they were issued. December vouchers are valid until 8 March. January vouchers are valid until 9 April.
Expired vouchers can be reissued. Ask your energy supplier about this. It should have told you (before 1 October 2022) how you would get your money.
Reissued vouchers are valid for another 90 days from the date they're reissued.
All vouchers must be redeemed by 30 June 2023.
What to do if you haven't received your voucher
Get in touch with your energy supplier if you haven't received your vouchers. Ask for them to be reissued.
If you're not sure that it has your correct details, contact it to check.
Check your email, including your spam or junk folder. If you don't use email regularly, make sure that your energy company knows how it should contact you.
Energy firms must ensure all customers receive vital support
Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: 'As an urgent priority, the government and energy suppliers must work together to share best practice and quickly improve the scheme to ensure that all customers on prepayment meters – who are more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes – are able to access this vital support without further delay.
'The government should also set out a clear process for the reissuing of any expired or lost vouchers to ensure this works well for customers.
'If you are on a traditional prepayment meter and haven’t received your vouchers, or are unsure how to redeem them, you should get in touch with your supplier as soon as possible for more information and to make sure it has the correct contact details.'
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/one-in-five-energy-vouchers-for-november-2022-havent-been-claimed-aE7cA8r3Tuwb