Many constituents have been in touch with me to ask about the Chancellor’s £200 loan for fuel bills. Many wish to not receive the money and others were concerned about paying the imposed loan back should their circumstances change.
I wrote to The Chancellor of the Exchequer to ask:

“…when his Department plans to provide further details of the energy bill rebate; whether energy customers will be able to opt out of taking the rebate; whether people that opt out will have to pay the additional £40 per annum charge; whether bills for those that are not currently customers will include the additional £40 per annum charge; and in what way customers who pay energy bills with their rent will (a) receive the rebate and (b) repay it.”

The reply came as follows:

All domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will receive a £200 reduction in their electricity costs from this October. This will be delivered via energy suppliers and will be clearly identifiable as a line item on electricity bills.

The Government will recoup the costs of the £200 reduction in full, from domestic energy suppliers over the next five years. We expect this will be reflected by energy suppliers as an increase in standing charges on electricity bills of around £40 per annum. If the number of domestic electricity meter grows, it is likely that the amount paid back by each household will be slightly lower.