Apply for energy bill support in Northern Ireland if you do not get it automatically

Most households in Northern Ireland will automatically get a £600 payment to help with their energy bills. This is made up of £400 from the Energy Bills Support Scheme and a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment, regardless of how you heat your home.

In some cases, you do not get the discount automatically, for example if you:

pay for energy through a landlord, housing manager or site owner
live in a park home, houseboat or off the electricity grid

Use this service to apply for the payment if you do not get it automatically. You can only make one application per household.

Eligible homes

You may be eligible to apply if your main home is:

in a residential park home
on a boat on a permanent residential mooring
on a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site
part of a heat network without an electricity meter
in social or private rented accommodation which has a business energy connection or a communal electricity supply
off the mains electricity or gas grid
in a care home or assisted living facility and you pay for some or all of your care (directly or through loss of pension or other benefits)
in a non-domestic property which is used as a home (such as a farm or a separate flat above a shop)

Who should apply

You can apply if:

you pay for the energy your household uses
you’re applying for your main, permanent home
you have a fixed address in Northern Ireland

Who cannot apply

You will get this support automatically and do not need to apply if you or your landlord:

have a standard domestic electricity meter
pay your bills directly to your energy supplier (such as Power NI or SSE Airtricity)

If you pay for your electricity as part of your rent it is your landlord’s responsibility to share the discount with you.

You cannot apply if you’ve already had £600 energy bill support from your electricity supplier

If you have not got a payment by 1 March 2023 but think you should, contact your energy supplier.

You also cannot apply if you live:

in purpose-built student accommodation
in a care home and all your fees are paid by a Health and Social Care Trust
on a boat as a continuous cruiser (currently under review)
on a non-permanent caravan or mobile home site (currently under review)
in accommodation provided by your employer (such as seasonal workers, ‘service occupiers’, security guards, building caretakers)
in a building where you are acting as a property guardian
in business premises, such as a pub or hotel, where your address is the same as the business address

Before you start

You will need:

an email address and phone number (if you have one)
your bank account details (a UK current account in your name)
proof of address (such as a utility bill or bank statement from the last 3 months)

If you rent your home, you’ll need to upload photo ID.

If you’re not registered for rates

You’ll need to upload a tenancy agreement or rates exemption certificate as part of your application.

If you live in a care home

You’ll need to upload either:

an invoice for your care home fees from the past three months
an official document from the care home including your name and address, a funding statement and the name and address of the care home

To apply online, click the link below:

Online portal link: Apply for energy bill support in Northern Ireland if you do not get it automatically - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you’re applying on behalf of someone else, answer the questions with their details rather than your own.

What you need to know:

After you apply, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will check you live at the address you apply for.

You’ll be told about the progress of your application by email or letter. You should get a response within 6 weeks.

If you’re eligible, you will get a one-off payment. You do not need to repay this money.

Other ways to apply

If you cannot apply online, phone the Northern Ireland customer support team.

Northern Ireland customer support team
Telephone: 0808 175 3894
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges

FACTSHEET FOR MORE INFORMATION: Energy Bills Support Scheme for Northern Ireland (EBSS AF NI) Factsheet | Utility Regulator (uregni.gov.uk)

Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding Portal Poster | Utility Regulator (uregni.gov.uk)