About the energy rebate scheme
Properties that are eligible
The Government gave councils funding to provide £150 payments to households to help with the rising costs of energy bills.
Most occupied properties in Bands A to D are eligible. Specific criteria is as follows:
- Bands A to D (including Band E with a disabled reduction charged at Band D level)
- Liable person for council tax must also have the property as their sole or main residence on 1 April 2022
Or
- The property has an exemption class of N, S, U or W (shown on your council tax bill), but this covers properties occupied by students, under 18s, severely mentally impaired or occupied annexes
Properties that are not eligible
The following properties are not eligible:
- Liability is to a company
- Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)
- Empty properties
- Second homes
How and when you receive your rebate payment
If you pay council tax by direct debit
For most people who pay by direct debit, you should have received your payment on 26 May 2022. The payment was made to the bank account your direct debit is taken from.
A small number of direct debit payers have not been paid automatically for a variety of reasons. Please see our 'Further information' section below for reasons why this may be.
If you do not pay council tax by direct debit
The deadline for claiming a bank payment for the rebate has passed. If you made a claim and have yet to hear the outcome of this, please log into the Peterborough Grant Approval system. Click on the green 'My Requests' link to view the status of your application.
For everyone else who we believe is eligible and has not made a claim, we have applied a £150 credit to their current council tax account.
- For those with a direct debit in place, payments will be adjusted automatically - you do not need to do anything as your direct debit payments will change to reflect this
- For those who don't pay by direct debit, you can now reduce your next payment(s) by £150 (this includes those who pay by standing order)
If you would like to view the status of your account or check your account has been credited, log into your council tax self-service account.
If you no longer pay council tax
If you no longer pay council tax, due to moving out of Peterborough or having an exemption in place for example, this rebate may mean your council tax account is now in credit. You can request a refund by cheque by emailing counciltaxrebate@peterborough.gov.uk.
If we have applied a credit to your account automatically
We have based eligibility for this on:
- Our current records
- What we currently know about the property
- Who is resident
If you have not applied for the rebate and we have applied the credit to your council tax account, you must tell us as soon as possible if you believe you are not eligible for this rebate. We will need to reverse the payment.
If this applies to you, please email us the details, including why you're not eligible, to counciltaxrebate@peterborough.gov.uk.
Scam phone calls and emails
You may have seen news reports about scammers cold-calling members of the public asking for bank details in order to process the energy rebate.
Please note that we will not contact you by phone or email asking for your bank details to make the energy rebate payment to you.
Discretionary Scheme Fund
The Government has provided further funds via the Discretionary Scheme. This is to help households in need who either didn't qualify under the Energy Rebate earlier this year or who require additional support, such as:
- Households in council tax bands E to H
- Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
There are three different groups of households who can receive a £150 payment.
If your household already received an Energy Rebate payment earlier this year, you won't be eligible for Groups A, B or C.
If you have any queries, please email counciltaxrebate@peterborough.gov.uk. Please include your name and address to assist us with answering your enquiry.
Group A
Households in bands E to H who meet at least one of the following criteria on 1 April 2022:
- In receipt of working age Council Tax Support
- In exempt class N, S, U or W
- In receipt of a disabled person's band reduction (bands F to H only, as band E was included in the mandatory Energy Rebate scheme earlier this year)
From our records, we know which households are eligible for a £150 payment under Group A. We will automatically credit your council tax account if you are eligible within four weeks of the closure of the application window. You don’t need to apply.
Group B
Households in properties classified as Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO) where the property owner is liable for the council tax, but the occupiers are liable for the energy bill.
If you’re eligible under Group B, you must apply by 16 October 2022.
Please apply online using the Peterborough Grant Approval System.
You need to supply the following documents as evidence:
- A current lease or tenancy agreement
- Evidence of current rent payments
- A recent utility bill confirming liability for electricity and / or gas at the property
Only one payment of £150 is made per property. We transfer the payment into your bank account within four weeks.
Group C
Households in bands E to H that can demonstrate exceptional financial hardship who are in receipt of one of the following:
- A means tested benefit (e.g. Universal Credit, Pension Credit) or Council Tax Support
- A disability benefit (Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance)
If you’re eligible under Group C, you must apply by 16 October 2022.
Please apply online using the Peterborough Grant Approval System.
You need to supply proof of receipt of one of the above benefits.
We transfer the £150 payment into your bank account within four weeks.
Discretionary top-up payments / Group D
In addition, we will make discretionary top-up payments to households in receipt of working age Council Tax Support on 1 April 2022 who:
- Have already received a payment under the mandatory Energy Rebate scheme earlier this year
OR - Are eligible under Group A above
The amount awarded under Group D will be confirmed following awards of payments under Groups A to C and the remaining funds available.
From our records, we know which households are eligible for payment under Group D. We will automatically credit your council tax account if you are eligible between 16 October and 30 November. You don’t need to apply.
Bank account payments
Groups B and C
Households eligible under Groups B and C receive their £150 payments into their bank accounts. As part of the application process for Groups B and C, you’ll need to:
- Provide your bank details
- Upload a recent bank statement
- Agree to us undertaking a credit check
This information helps us to verify your details and prevent fraud and error in the scheme.
Groups A and D
You may prefer us to make the payment into your bank account, rather than credit your council tax account. If this is the case, you’ll need to complete an application form and supply us with your bank details.
Group A – apply for a payment to your bank account using the Peterborough Grant Approval System
Group D – apply for a payment to your bank account using the Peterborough Grant Approval System
If you’re happy to receive the payment as a credit on your council tax account, you don’t need to apply.
If you don’t want to supply a bank statement
If you don’t want to supply a bank statement, you can still apply for the payment. However, we may need to contact you for further information which may delay your application. If we remain unable to verify your bank details, we’ll credit your council tax account instead.
Property reference number
Claims will require a property reference. You can find your property reference number on the GOV.UK website. They refer to it as the 'local authority reference number'. If the letters 'PC' show on your property reference, please ignore these and just use the 12 digit number on your application.
