The Fed’s national vice president Muntazir Dipoti has featured in a BBC News report on the take-up of vouchers to help people with prepayment meters to pay their bills.
From October 1, all households in England, Scotland and Wales should have begun to receive the first £400 instalment of the government’s Energy Bill Support Scheme.
For customers who have a prepayment meter, which requires topping up via a key or card in a local newsagent or Post Office, the help with energy bills comes in the form of a credit voucher sent out by suppliers each month.
More than four million people have a prepayment meter, and around half of those are the older, non-smart type of meter, according to the energy watchdog Ofgem. But by the end of October, PayPoint revealed that only half of those eligible had redeemed the first vouchers, which are valid for 90 days.
The BBC visited Mr Dipoti’s shop in Todmorden, West Yorkshire on October 31 for a special report on the energy scheme.
Mr Dipoti said: “As a federation, we work closely with PayPoint. I urge all Fed members who have a PayPoint terminal to ask their customers whether they have received the vouchers and encourage them to cash them in before the 90-day deadline.
“Because of the warmer weather we’ve had, or because they are saving them until nearer Christmas, some people may be hanging on to their vouchers. But it is important that they are aware that the vouchers expire after 90 days, so they must use them or lose them.”
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