Chaos caused by energy bill help scheme
PEOPLE in Inverclyde have been left ‘stressed and in tears’ due to major problems with the UK energy bill help scheme, says the area’s MP.
Ronnie Cowan says he has serious concerns over delays in households accessing their support vouchers.
He is now urging anyone who fears missing out to contact his office immediately, bypassing energy companies if necessary.
All households are eligible for help with energy costs as inflation soars and energy bills rise to off-the-scale levels.
Those who pay by direct debit should receive their support cash automatically.
But many constituents who rely on pre-paid meters - often the less well-off - are supposed to receive £400 in vouchers.
More than 20 households have already contacted the MP’s office concerned that they have missed out, and it is feared this may just be the tip of the iceberg.
The Inverclyde SNP MP - who hosted special cost-ofliving crisis help surgeries in October - is now urging anyone who has not received their first voucher to contact his office urgently. He has already highlighted how the amount of vouchers being redeemed is at much lower levels than expected.
Some of the problems reported to the MP’s staff include suppliers using email addresses to contact households with some ending up in junk folders and customers no longer having access to old email addresses.
Some vouchers being sent to landlords rather than tenants and elderly constituents who do not have email accounts are also feared to be missing out.
Mr Cowan said: “This is our most worrying issue at the moment.
“It is vital that these vouchers get to where they are needed, and fast. My staff have dealt with constituents stressed and in tears over this. They are in touch with the energy suppliers, who are engaging with us, but they themselves have been swamped with enquiries.
“Some constituents report being on the ‘phone to suppliers for more than two hours.”
Mr Cowan says more must be done to ensure that people get the help they are entitled to.
He told the Tele: “With all the other pressures on budgets caused by the UK Tory government’s fiscal meltdown, this is intolerable.
“We are talking about the households who need this help the most.
“Some elderly customers do not have access to emails, or customer contact email addresses held by suppliers are old.
“Customers have the right to ask suppliers to send vouchers by post.
“My staff are speaking to energy firms on behalf of constituents, and I urge any households struggling with this to contact my office.”
Mr Cowan’s staff are meantime urging householders to check old email addresses or ‘spam’ email folders and if vouchers are there, mark the emails as coming from a ‘safe sender’.