Landlords with communal heating systems are required to register with the government’s Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) by 25 July to cut bills for their residents.
However, many landlords are still still yet to sign up, despite the failure to do so potentially resulting in a fine of up to £5,000.
Heat network customers have often faced much bigger price rises during the energy crisis than domestic gas customers, who have been protected by the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) subsidies.
According to the Heat Trust – the consumer champion for heat networks – the saving for heat-network residents could be substantial and help those facing unaffordable costs in the face of recent energy price rises.
Stephen Knight, director of Heat Trust, said: “Many heat network customers we hear from are currently facing massive costs for heat and desperately need the discount that EBDS scheme will provide.
“However, until their landlord applies for, gets and passes on the discount, they are left unaided and often unable to afford hot water or heat.
“We also urge landlords and other heat suppliers to pass on the benefit of this discount as soon as possible, as it will apply to energy used from 1 April 2023, so landlords can apply it to residents’ accounts straight away.”
Image: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock
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