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Five cash supports to help with heating costs that you may not know about

With temperatures set to drop and no sign that energy prices will follow, people need all the help they can get to make ends meet

With temperatures set to drop and no sign that energy prices will follow, people need all the help they can get to make ends meet

With temperatures set to drop this winter and no sign that energy prices will follow, here are five cash supports that you’ll either receive or can apply for to help with the cost of living in the months ahead.

Energy credits

It’s not often you get good news when you open an electricity bill, but all domestic customers can look forward to three energy credits in the coming months, which will see €450 knocked off their bills.

They’ll be paid in three instalments of €150, the first of which will arrive next month, followed by another in January and a third one in March 2024.

READ MORE: Heating experts share tips for getting the most out of your radiators

The credits apply to every domestic electricity account, so if you’ve more than one home, you’ll get more than one credit. It also doesn’t matter whether you have a pre-pay meter, as your provider will contact you by text, email or on your top-up note to tell you that the credit has been applied to your account.

You can find out more about these here.

Additional Needs Payment

The Additional Needs Payment is intended to help people with an expense that they cannot pay from their weekly income.

There’s no set amount that people can apply for, as it depends on your circumstances and the type of help you need.

You can get the Additional Needs Payment for:

  • An increase in your fuel or electricity costs

  • Essential repairs to property, including motor vehicles and replacing household appliances and furniture

  • Funeral costs

  • Deposits for private rented accommodation

  • Bedding and cooking utensils, if you are setting up home for the first time

  • Food, clothing and shelter after an emergency event such as a fire or flood

  • Recurring travel costs to hospital

  • Visiting a relative in hospital or prison

  • This is not a complete list, other expenses can be covered too

You can learn more about this payment here.

Fuel Allowance

To receive the Fuel Allowance, people must meet the criteria set out by the scheme, which require that you’re living alone, living in Ireland, and getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments.

People will also receive a once-off payment of €300 to in the week beginning November 20.

You can learn more about this payment here.

Household Benefits Package

To get the Household Benefits Package (HBP), you must:

  • Be living in Ireland (full-time, all year round)

  • Be the only person in your household getting the HBP

  • Have the electricity or gas bill in your name (if you are applying for an Electricity or Gas Allowance)

  • Be aged 70 or over

  • Be aged under 70 and meet the additional rules for ‘People aged under 70’

For people under the age of 70 and living with their spouse, cohabitant or civil partner, you can get the HBP if you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment and:

  • You are getting an increase in your qualifying social welfare payment for them or

  • They are getting their own qualifying social welfare payment or

  • They are getting a social welfare payment not listed here and they satisfy a means test.

To find out more about the qualifying social welfare payments, click here.

Grants for a home energy upgrade

You could qualify for a grant to upgrade your home energy system and improve the BER rating of your home. This will lower the amount of electricity or gas that you use.

To qualify for a grant you must:

  • Be the owner of a property built and occupied before 2011 for insulation, heating control systems and renewable systems grants

  • Have a home with a BER of B3 or lower before the work

  • Reach a BER of at least B2 after the work and have a BER improvement of 100kWh/m2 per year

  • Not have already used grants for the same energy upgrades

  • Use an SEAI registered company (One Stop Shop) to manage the process, work and applications

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