Q&A: Your £600 energy payment scheme questions answered

People in Northern Ireland have begun to receive the long-awaited £600 energy payment.

It was confirmed last month that households here would get the single, one-off payment from mid-January.

Customers who pay their electricity bills by direct debit will see the £600 payment paid directly into their bank accounts from this week.

But 500,000 people (about 75% of customers) pay quarterly or use a pre-payment meters, and will be receiving vouchers in the post that can only be redeemed at post offices.

The money, part of a UK-wide energy payment scheme, had been delayed in Northern Ireland.

What is the energy payment scheme?

The Energy Bills Support Scheme Northern Ireland is being delivered by the UK government, in the absence of a power-sharing executive at Stormont, to help with rising energy bills.

The scheme will combine two different payments.

Firstly, a £400 payment that was promised by the government to all households in the UK to help with rising energy bills.

Then, a second £200 payment, which was announced in November to address the high number of home heating oil users in Northern Ireland.

This payment is being given to all households regardless of whether they use oil.

Households in Great Britain have been receiving their money in monthly instalments since October

However, until recently people in Northern Ireland did not know when their payments would be made.

How does the energy payment scheme work?

Direct debit customers will see the £600 payment paid directly into their bank accounts.

The energy firm they were signed up to on 2 January will be tasked with distributing £600 directly into their accounts.

Keypad and non-direct debit customers, representing about 500,000 people in Northern Ireland, are receiving vouchers in the post.

If you're unsure about how you will receive the payment speak to your electric provider.

The vouchers can only be redeemed at the Post Office - they can be transferred into most bank accounts or the customer can receive cash.

Post Office NI said the distribution of the vouchers is being carried out in a phased way.

Customers who are registered as vulnerable with electricity firms, such as those with medical equipment, are being prioritised.

What do I need to bring to redeem my voucher?

Customers will need to bring:

• the voucher letter

• proof of address

• a bank card, if you are requesting payment into an account

• a photographic ID, if you are redeeming the voucher for cash

If customers bank with Monzo, Nationwide or a credit union, they will not be able to transfer the voucher into their account at the Post Office and will need to bring photo ID, as detailed in the voucher, to receive the payment as cash.

While the money is intended for energy payments, it can be spent on what people see fit

For those who are physically unable to go to the Post Office, there are details in the letter about how someone else can collect the payment on your behalf.

When posted to households, keypad customers will receive their vouchers addressed to "the occupier" while those who pay quarterly will be addressed to the account holder.

Keypad customers will also need to bring their top-up card or app.

While the money is intended to help with rising energy costs, people will be able to use it however they want.

The scheme is universal, meaning those who pay a bill at a second home, such as a holiday home, will be paid twice.

The government has said the payment is automatic and have warned people to look out for any possible scams in which they are asked for their bank details.

If anyone does see a possible scam, they can report it on the government's website.

What if the Post Office can't transfer the money into my account and I don't have a photo ID?

As mentioned above, there are some financial institutions - Monzo Bank, Nationwide and credit unions - that the Post Office cannot use when depositing vouchers.

That is because they are not on the banking framework used by the Post Office, so it cannot deposit the vouchers into accounts held by those institutions.

That means people with those accounts will need to redeem the vouchers for cash using a photo ID.

However, concerns have been raised by community groups who say some customers in that situation may not have the required ID.

Sinead Quinn, from the Derry Against Fuel Poverty group, told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that she knew of Nationwide customers who did not have a photo ID.

SDLP assembly member for Foyle, Sinead McLaughlin, has tweeted out that her office can help people apply for a free electoral ID card.

When will people in Northern Ireland get the money?

Everyone should have received their payment 28 February.

If you don't receive the payment by that date contact your supplier.

Customers receiving vouchers have been advised to redeem their vouchers soon after receiving them to ensure post office branches can maintain their cash flow.

What about people renting?

If you rent or are in shared accommodation, residents should discuss with the individual responsible for paying the electric bill.

If you pay utilities as part of your rent, this should be discussed with your landlord.

What about those who are not on a domestic meter and electricity contract?

Payments for those in caravans and park homes, certain other types of home will be rolled out in February.

There will be a separate process for getting this payment.

You can check the list of eligible households here.

For more details, go to the government's information page on the payment scheme.

If someone paid by direct debit for an address before 2 January but has since moved or will move during the scheme's period, will they still receive the payment for that address?

Direct Debit customers will receive the £600 automatically into their bank accounts from the supplier who they were with at 8am on 2 January (the qualifying date and time).

If someone is on a keypad system and have since moved or are moving, is there a process in place to ensure they receive a payment?

The scheme's Qualifying Date and Time was 2 January 2023 at 8am.

All those that move after 2 January but before receiving their EBSS payment, will need to contact the supplier they were with on 2 January, to arrange for EBSS to be delivered to them.

Neither they nor any new occupant will be able to redeem vouchers as issued, as they will no longer have all the required evidence of eligibility (keypad top-up key or app; proof of address dated before 2 January).

Will those who own caravans as a second home be able to avail of a second payment?

The property for which support is being claimed must be the main or sole residential address of the recipient, not a second or holiday home.

This means that caravans used as a primary residence for domestic purposes are eligible, as long as the occupier is paying the energy bill and has not received EBSS funding via another route.

How can I check the status of my payment?

Power NI customers can check the status of their payment voucher on the company's website.

Why were payments delayed in Northern Ireland?

The government cited a number reasons, including that Northern Ireland has its own energy market with its own rules and that a high proportion of households - about two thirds - use home heating oil.

It also previously blamed the delay on the lack of a functioning Stormont executive - an argument refuted by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has been boycotting the power-sharing government since last February.

Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said he was grateful ministers and energy suppliers had found a solution to "the complexity of NI's energy market".

The scheme is due to be rolled out fully by the end of March.

• Read more: Could a sitting Stormont help with energy bills?

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