On the 11th of June, the Chancellor presented Spending Review 2025, detailing the funding each government department will be allocated, for the remaining term of this parliament.

We were pleased with the following 3 announcements, which will provide much needed, additional support, to help low-income, vulnerable residents keep warm in Winter (and cool in Summer) in homes that are cheaper for them to run.

Household Support Fund

The government is establishing a new Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year, to replace the Household Support Fund. This is the first ever multi-year settlement for this

The Crisis and Resilience Fund will fund councils to support some of the poorest households so that their children do not go hungry outside of term time. This longer-term funding approach enables local authorities to provide preventative support to communities – working with the voluntary and community sector – as well as to assist people when faced with a financial crisis, to support our ambition to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels.

Winter Fuel Payments

Increasing the means test threshold for Winter Fuel Payments to £35,000 from 2025-26, meaning that nine million pensioners in England and Wales will benefit from these payments this winter.

Warm Homes Plan

The Warm Homes Plan will help to cut bills for families across the country by upgrading homes through energy efficiency measures, alongside installing heat pumps and other low-carbon technologies, such as solar panels and batteries. 

To cut bills, tackle fuel poverty and accelerate to net zero, the government is funding the Warm Homes Plan with a total of £13.2 billion.

The government will work with the UK’s expert public finance institutions, including the NWF (National Wealth Fund), to support the delivery of the Warm Homes Plan. Further details will be confirmed by October.

You can read Spending Review 2025 in full, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document

The Household Support Fund (and it’s predecessor, the “Covid Crisis Fund”) has been providing vital, additional support to vulnerable residents, for the past five years.

Through partnerships with Halton, Sefton, and Wirral Councils, each year we’ve been able to access funding to provide such support as emergency fuel vouchers, payments towards Direct Debit payments, fuel debt relief, and heating repairs.

To refer a client to us for any of these, or other services, see our Referrals webpage here: www.epplus.org.uk/referrals

Current Offer

We’re pleased to confirm we’re launching our support for Halton and Sefton residents.

Halton

“Direct Debit Support”

• Financial support to help residents who don’t use prepay meters, and therefore can’t take advantage of fuel vouchers designed to support people at risk of self-disconnection.
• Residents can pay by any other means, e.g. Standing Order, Budgeting Card, or cash.
• Residents must be low-income and vulnerable to the impact of living in a cold home.
• Upon successful application, Energy Projects Plus will process a payment directly to the resident’s energy supplier, to be credited to their account.
• The value of payments is based on household composition.

Heating repair/replacement

• To support residents who have no other recourse to financial assistance to help with the repair or replacement of their primary heating appliance.
• Residents must be in a “no-heat situation” (i.e. without support would be living in a cold home with no means to keep warm).
• Residents must be on a low-income and vulnerable to the impacts of living in a cold home.
• Upon successful application, Energy Projects Plus will support the resident to obtain a quote for necessary works, and offer a financial contribution, which could fully or part-pay for the works to be carried out.
• All payments will be made directly to a Gas Safe Registered heating contractor, upon satisfactory completion of works.

Sefton

“Direct Debit Support”

• Financial support to help residents who don’t use prepay meters, and therefore can’t take advantage of fuel vouchers designed to support people at risk of self-disconnection.
• Residents can pay by any other means, e.g. Standing Order, Budgeting Card, or cash.
• Residents must be low-income and vulnerable to the impact of living in a cold home.
• Upon successful application, Energy Projects Plus will process a payment directly to the resident’s energy supplier, to be credited to their account.
• The value of payments is the equivalent of one month’s worth of energy payments.

Fuel debt relief

• Residents must be low-income and vulnerable to the impact of living in a cold home.
• Upon successful application, Energy Projects Plus will process a payment directly to the resident’s energy supplier, to be credited to their account.
• The value of payments will either fully or partly cover the balance outstanding.
• Residents must be able to cover their ongoing energy costs.

All support is provided on a discretionary basis, with each case assessed on its own merit.

Funding is expected to continue until the end of March 2026, or when funds are exhausted, whichever is sooner.

Coming Soon

Wirral Council is finalising plans for 2025-26, and we hope to provide confirmation of these in next month’s newsletter.

The Future

The Household Support Fund was referenced in the Chancellor’s Spending Review, with a commitment to keep this going, on a multi-year basis, with a rebranding. We’ll share further details as they’re announced.

To refer a client to us for any of these, or other services, see our Referrals webpage here: www.epplus.org.uk/referrals

Energy company Utilita will pay around £277,000 in compensation after failing to pay its Warm Home Discount payments on time, following a review by Ofgem.

The regulator found that, in the scheme year covering 2023-2024, Utilita – which supplies 800,000 customers – failed to pass on the mandatory discount to more than 4,000 customers within the required timeframe because of an internal error in processing payments.

The Warm Home Discount scheme – which is administered by Ofgem on behalf of government – supports energy consumers on low incomes by offering an automatic payment of £150 to eligible customers each year.

In recognition of the impact delayed Warm Home Discount payments could have on its customers Utilita has agreed to pay £247,000 of compensation to those affected, who will receive further payments of up to £150 each. This is in addition to £30,000 of compensation Utilita paid to affected customers shortly after the error was identified.

Ofgem has also today published its Supplier Performance Report, which assesses supplier performance in the delivery of a number of government schemes including the Warm Home Discount and Feed-in Tariffs schemes.

The report confirms that in the same 2023-2024 scheme year, the regulator secured nearly £762,000 in redress payments from suppliers for non-compliance with the Warm Home Discount scheme. This includes direct compensation to customers and payments into Ofgem’s Voluntary Redress Fund which funds projects and schemes to support energy consumers, particularly those in vulnerable situations.

Cathryn Scott, Regulatory Director of Market Oversight and Enforcement at Ofgem, said:

“The Warm Home Discount is a lifeline for vulnerable energy consumers on low incomes. Even a short delay in making these payments can cause harm to vulnerable customers, so it’s vital that suppliers make these payments on time and without hassle.

“Unfortunately, on this occasion, Utilita fell short of our standards by failing to pay some of their customers in a timely manner. Utilita has conducted an audit of their Warm Home Discount processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

“It’s our duty to protect consumers. And today’s outcome, as well as the findings set out in our Supplier Performance Report, serve as a reminder to all suppliers that failures to make scheme payments on time are unacceptable, and that we can and will take enforcement action to put things right for customers.”

Utilita is completing an independent review of their Warm Home Discount processes and Ofgem will continue to monitor all suppliers’ compliance with their obligations under the Warm Home Discount scheme.

A huge thank you to Wirral Carers Alliance for organising the brilliant Commitment to Carers Conference, which was held at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton on the 11th of June. It was inspiring to hear from so many voices championing the vital role of unpaid carers across our communities.

Unpaid carers provide essential, around-the-clock support for loved ones, often with little recognition or rest. But support is available, and at Energy Projects Plus, we’re here to help.

We offer free, award-winning energy advice that can support carers in managing energy use and reducing bills, including:

• Demonstrating how to use heating controls effectively
• Checking you’re on the most cost-effective energy tariff
• Liaising with energy suppliers around account issues or debts
• Installing free “easy measures” like LED lightbulbs and draught-proofing
• Recommending larger improvements, like insulation or solar panels
• Supporting with grant applications for energy efficiency upgrades

We know how difficult it is for unpaid carers to find time for themselves, let alone attend a conference. That’s why our message is simple: We’ll come to you.

We offer home visits with flexible appointments tailored to your need,  all with full understanding that your caring responsibilities come first.

If you or someone you know is a carer in need of in-home energy advice, get in touch