Almshouses say they have to share energy bill discount

Jean Holmes said the 12 bungalows only had one electricity meter so had to share the £400 discount

Residents in shared community housing have said they been hit by high energy bills as they have to share the government's £400 rebate.

The almshouses in Towcester, Northamptonshire, a group of 12 bungalows, have one meter, so only receive one discount.

One resident, Jean Holmes, said it felt like "we're almost being forgotten".

The charity that runs the almshouses said it was "fighting on behalf of residents" and expects a government announcement "within weeks".

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has been contacted for comment.

Earlier this year the government announced energy bills would be cut by £400

This is being applied over six months, with a reduction of £66 in October and November, and £67 every month between December and March 2023.

The discount will be made automatically by energy suppliers in England.

But the residents at the almshouses said even though they each pay individually, only one discount has been applied.

Ms Holmes said: "Our electricity bills are quite high here because it's all electric heating, which is quite old-fashioned.

"My son pays the same as I do for a four-bedroom detached house in Silverstone and there are four of them that live there.

"We don't know where else to go - we are at the end of the line."

'We're all anxious'

Almshouse resident Jen Fisher said people were worried about their bills

Jen Fisher, who also lives in the block, said some residents were not putting their heating on because of the cost.

"We're all anxious that we need to have this [discount] because of the price of electricity," she said.

The Sponne and Bickerstaffs Charity, which runs the almshouses, said it felt "extremely sorry for our residents who are caught in a situation that is not their fault".

It had written to both the electricity supplier and the local Conservative MP, Andrea Leadsom.

Due to the colder weather a solution was needed "within days", the charity said.

About 1% of homes are believed to not be eligible for the government's energy discount as they do not have a direct connection with their supplier.

The government was contacted for a response, but earlier this year it said it was "urgently working" to ensure everyone received the support.

Almshouses are a charitable form of self-contained, low-cost housing which are mostly available to older people.