Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) – Alternative Funding (AF)

EBSS Alternative Funding scheme is to provide equivalent support of £400 to domestic households who have not automatically received EBSS support as they do not have a domestic electricity supply contract.

The scheme is for households who are responsible for paying for energy used in their primary dwelling as part of a service charge, rent or other arrangement. 

To make an application for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically. 

Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund (AFP AF)

The domestic Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) provides a £200 grant payment to UK households that use alternative fuels for heating instead of mains gas. 

You may be eligible if both the following are true:

• your household is not connected to the mains gas grid
• you use alternative fuels as your main form of heating

This is on top of the £400 from your electricity supplier.

Applications will open in early March.

For more information about either scheme go to:  
Get help with your energy bills. 

If you need help to apply

If you cannot apply online or need help with your application, contact the helpline team.
Email: alternativefunding@ebss.beis.gov.uk
Telephone: 0808 175 3287
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Updated privacy notice

The council processes personal information about you, this includes your: 

• Application reference number;
• Name (and any contact details for any third party individual supporting or making the application on your behalf); 
• Date application received;
• Outcome of application and reason for decision-making;
• Assurance evidence in line with the Guidance (such as bank account details, Council Tax records, UK Driving licence, utility bill, care home invoice, tenancy agreement);
• Payment fraud or error, money recovered and subsequent fraud and error reporting.

Special category data is not expressly requested in connection with applications for the scheme, but it is possible that co-incident collection and sharing of special category data could occur as a result of information provided by you (or third party individuals acting on your behalf) in connection with the applications, including, but not limited to, information relating to your ethnic origin or data concerning health or age. 

We process this information to support the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding Service; specifically to confirm your identity; facilitate payment and prevent, detect and investigate fraud and errors. We may also assess your liability for council tax on the property you have stated as your sole and main residence on the application. We return this information to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for the reasons noted above. We also get some of your information from BEIS and this is detailed in their respective privacy notices for the Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Funding Scheme and the Privacy Notice for the Alternative Fuel Payment Fund along with the lawful bases for processing your personal data under this scheme.

We also process this information to support the delivery of the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Funding to domestic energy consumers scheme; specifically to conduct quality checks, monitor and evaluate effectiveness of the scheme, prevent fraud, and publish information for the transparency on the use of public funds. We return this information to the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for the reasons noted above. We also get some of your information from DESNZ and this is detailed in their privacy notice (TBA when live) along with the lawful bases for processing your personal data under this scheme. 

We have a data sharing agreement with BEIS and DESNZ to facilitate this arrangement. Your information will be retained in line with our Data Protection. For more information on your data subject rights, including how to contact us about them or anything else, please see our Corporate Privacy Notice (this link opens in a new window).