Cost of living: millions of pounds worth of energy vouchers left unclaimed - here’s how you can get yours

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Around £50million of government support for energy bills has been left unclaimed by some of the country’s most vulnerable people.

As part of the government’s energy support scheme, each household in the UK receives £400 off their energy bills between October and April. If you’re on a direct debit, this amount is automatically refunded each month, but for those with prepayment meters, they receive the support through vouchers in the post or via email.

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However, data seen by the BBC shows that around 380,000 vouchers have gone unclaimed by prepayment users for the months of October and November. The amount totals £50million of government support, it is reported.

The government is urging energy firms to do more to make sure customers receive the support they are entitled to. They say companies should make at least three attempts to contact customers when a voucher is not redeemed.

According to Citizens Advice, the main reason for people not cashing an energy voucher is because they have not received it yet.

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How to claim your energy support scheme voucher 

If you haven’t redeemed your energy support scheme voucher for months since October, it is still possible to claim and save money on your bill. A person who has not received their voucher or has not cashed it should contact their energy supplier, check that their contact details are correct, and ask for the voucher to be re-issued to them.

Once received, the vouchers should then be taken to a local PayPoint store or a Post Office to be credited onto a meter.

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