Declares that permanent residents of Park Homes, by virtue of the method in which their energy is provided through a single commercial meter, which is subsequently distributed amongst residents, are facing unprecedented energy costs; notes that the owners of Park Homes will receive support via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and, by legislation yet to be introduced, will be required to pass this directly to residents; notes that the relief provided through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme is significantly less than that offered to domestic customers; further notes that residents of Park Homes are subject to commercial rates for their energy and pay substantially more per unit than domestic customers.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to provide tailored relief directly to permanent residents of Park Homes; further urges the Government to work with regulators and energy providers to ensure that permanent residents of Park Homes are given the opportunity to switch to individually metered supplies at domestic energy rates at no cost.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Anne McLaughlin , Official Report, 7 December 2022; Vol. 724, c. 470.]
[P002785]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Amanda Solloway):
The Government continue to develop options to support domestic consumers, including park home residents, on a non-domestic meter where they are facing lower levels of support than other domestic consumers after 31 March 2023.
As of 27 February 2023, park home residents can apply for support of £400 through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF). This will be provided to households who are not supplied by a domestic electricity supply and who are not eligible to receive support automatically through the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS).
In Northern Ireland, £600 support is being provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding for Northern Ireland (EBSS AF NI) to those households who do not have a domestic electricity supply and have not been eligible to receive support automatically through the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Alternative Fuel Payment Northern Ireland (EBSS AFP NI). This £600 is made up of the EBSS AF (£400) and the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund (AFP AF) (£200).
To apply, park home residents need to complete a short online application form on the gov.uk webpage which launched on 27 February. The application portal can be found by searching “Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically (in Northern Ireland)” into the search bar on gov.uk or an internet search engine.
For those without online access, the contact centre helpline can be reached on 08081753287 (08081753894 in Northern Ireland), where a representative will guide them through the application process.