Alternative fuel payments

The alternative fuel payment (AFP) was a one-off £200 government grant to help households with the cost of heating if they used fuels other than mains gas, such as:

• heating oil (kerosene)
• biomass, like wood pellets or logs
• liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
• coal or other solid fuels

It was part of the government’s support during the energy crisis in winter 2022–2023.

Most eligible households received the payment automatically through their electricity supplier from February 2023.

You were eligible if:

• your home was not connected to the mains gas grid
• you used alternative fuels as your main way to heat your home

Even if you received the £400 energy bills discount, you could still get the £200 AFP.

Some people needed to apply, such as:

• those without a direct electricity supplier
• those living in a gas-connected area but still using alternative fuels for heating

No - the £200 payment was a non-repayable grant.

It was not a loan, and you didn’t need to pay it back.

The scheme is now closed, but if you believe you were eligible and didn’t receive the payment, you may still be able to:

• contact your electricity supplier to check if you were missed
• speak to your local council or Citizens Advice for guidance

How you got the £200 depended on how you paid for your electricity:

If you paid by direct debit, cash or cheque, the payment showed up as a £200 credit on your electricity bill.

For people with a smart prepayment meter, credit will have been added directly to your meter.

If you’re on a traditional prepayment meter, you’ll have received a voucher (via PayPoint) to redeem as a direct bank payment, or two £100 cash refunds at a participating PayPoint shop.

To redeem the voucher, you needed to show ID proving your name and address, such as: 

• UK driving licence
• bank statement
• utility bill or council tax bill
• benefits documentation

No. The application window for the AFP scheme has now closed.

Most eligible households received the payment automatically.

To make the scheme fairer, the government allowed receipts for fuel bought from June 2022 to May 2023 to count towards applications.

When the application scheme was open, you could submit up to 10 receipts showing purchases of eligible fuels.

If you’re finding it hard to keep up with energy bills, then options are available.

Firstly, speak to your supplier, as they might be able to offer help such as grants.

It’s also well worth checking to see what other support you might be eligible for.

Use our benefits calculator or get in touch to find out what you could claim.

And don’t forget to try our handy budget planner, so you can see where you could save money in your household and free up cash for vital expenses.