The government announced in March 2022 that most households in England in Council Tax Bands A to D will be eligible for a £150 rebate to help with the soaring costs of fuel bills, to be administered via the Council Tax system.

Payments have started to be made based on the date on which residents pay their Council Tax, with those who pay their Council Tax by direct debit at the start of the month receiving theirs first. The payments will appear on bank statements as ‘WDC Energy Rebate’.

For those residents that don’t pay by direct debit, they will soon receive a letter confirming what they need to do to claim the payment.

Councillor Jan Matecki, Cabinet member for Homes, Health and Wellbeing said:

“I’m pleased that the many households in our District that are struggling financially with spiralling fuel bills will soon be receiving their energy rebate payment. The team have been working hard on this additional task at the same time as dealing with their current workload, and they’ve gone the extra mile to ensure that these payments have been made as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring all the necessary checks are in place to prevent fraudulent claims.”

A discretionary scheme for those households not eligible for this payment is currently being worked up.

The Council politely requests that residents do not try to contact them at this time, as a significant number of payments will need to be made over the next few weeks to all eligible households. Updates will regularly be added to the Council’s website.

There is also a leaflet to signpost residents to government and local support packages, as well as organisations that are able to offer advice during these difficult times.