1,500

Maximum grant

Per successful application

6 weeks

Decision time

From submitting complete evidence

01733 421 021

Let's Talk helpline

Mon-Fri office hours

EDF only

Customer requirement

Must be supplied by EDF

What is the EDF Energy Customer Support Fund?

The EDF Energy Customer Support Fund gives non-repayable grants to EDF Energy domestic customers who are in financial hardship and cannot afford to settle their gas or electricity arrears. It can also fund the purchase of essential white goods - cooker, fridge-freezer, washing machine - where the lack of an appliance is contributing to fuel poverty.

The fund is administered by Charis Grants, a specialist grants assessor that also runs the support funds for OVO Energy, Scottish Power, E.ON Next and several other UK suppliers. Applications are submitted online through the shared Let's Talk portal.

The fund only helps with EDF Energy debts. If you are in arrears with a different supplier, look at the British Gas Energy Trust (open to any UK supplier's customers) or other supplier-specific schemes.

What the fund does not cover

The fund is strictly limited to essential household energy and white goods. The following are explicitly outside its scope:

  • Fines levied by the police or the courts ;
  • Repayment of benefit overpayments to the DWP ;
  • Business or commercial debts ;
  • HM Revenue and Customs debts (income tax, VAT) ;
  • Unsecured personal debt (credit cards, catalogues, personal loans, BNPL) ;
  • Energy or appliance bills that you have already paid ;
  • Mortgage arrears, council tax arrears or rent arrears.

If your difficulties extend beyond energy, get free money advice from Citizens Advice or StepChange Debt Charity first - their advisers will help you build a combined plan.

Who can apply for an EDF Customer Support Fund grant?

You can apply if all the following are true on the day you submit:

  • You are a domestic EDF Energy customer (gas, electricity or dual fuel) ;
  • You are the named account holder on the EDF Energy bill ;
  • You have an outstanding debt on your EDF account, or are in arrears that you cannot clear yourself ;
  • You can demonstrate a clear, ongoing financial hardship (low income, recent income shock, illness, bereavement, disability, vulnerable household) ;
  • You have already engaged with free money advice from a recognised agency, who has helped you produce a budget sheet (income vs. essential expenditure).

How to apply step by step

1

Free money advice

Speak to Citizens Advice, StepChange or MoneyHelper. Required before the fund will assess your case.

2

Gather evidence

EDF account number, latest bill, payslips or benefit letters, 3 months of bank statements, money-advice paperwork.

3

Create your account

Sign up at forms.lets-talk.online with a personal email.

4

Complete the form

About 45 minutes. Save and Continue lets you finish later. Sessions are deleted after 8 weeks of inactivity.

5

Upload documents

PDFs or clear smartphone photos both accepted. The fund cannot decide until evidence is complete.

6

Respond fast

Charis Grants writes back within 6 days if anything is missing. Reply within 30 days to keep the application alive.

7

Get the outcome

Decision arrives by email - typically 6 weeks from complete submission. If awarded, EDF credits your account directly.

Keep paying what you can while the application is pending. Continued engagement - even small partial payments - improves your chance of an award and prevents EDF from escalating the debt while Charis Grants reviews the case.

Evidence required to support your application

Without complete evidence, Charis Grants cannot assess your case. Send photocopies or scans only, never originals.

Evidence the EDF Energy Customer Support Fund requires
Evidence typeWhat to submit
EDF account detailsAccount number, latest meter readings (gas and electricity), most recent bill or statement showing the outstanding balance.
Money advice budget sheetFull budget produced with an FCA-approved adviser ; their name, organisation and direct contact details.
Income evidenceThree consecutive payslips, benefit award letters, pension statements or tax credit statements covering the last three months.
Bank statementsThree months of statements for every active account in the household (PDF download from online banking is fine).
Illness or disabilityMedical evidence: GP letter, hospital discharge summary, DLA / PIP / Attendance Allowance award letter, blue badge.
Life-changing eventLetter from your employer (redundancy), death certificate (bereavement), divorce decree, eviction notice. Anything that explains why your finances have changed.
White-goods requestIf you are asking for an appliance, explain why it is essential (e.g. no working cooker, no fridge in a household with a baby) and provide a quote or two from a retailer.

EDF Energy Customer Support Fund contact

EDF Energy Customer Support Fund contact channels
ChannelDetailsWhen to use it
Let's Talk helpline01733 421 021Help completing the form, paper application requests, callbacks.
Application portalforms.lets-talk.onlineSubmit a new application or track an existing one.
Fund email[email protected]Questions about an open application ; submitting additional evidence.
EDF customer service0333 200 5100For payment plans, the Priority Services Register or anything related to your EDF bill while you wait.

Free money-advice centres across the UK

The fund will only consider applications where you have first received independent money advice. Use one of these networks:

Other ways EDF Energy can help with bills

A Customer Support Fund grant is not the only route to lower your energy costs. Depending on your situation, one or more of these may be easier or faster to access:

Other EDF Energy and government schemes for vulnerable households
SchemeHow it helps
Warm Home Discount£150 one-off rebate on the electricity bill of eligible low-income households between October and 31 March.
Cold Weather Payment£25 per qualifying 7-day cold snap, paid by the DWP on top of certain means-tested benefits.
Winter Fuel Payment£100-£300 for pensioners receiving Pension Credit in England and Wales ; broader eligibility in Scotland (Pension Age Winter Heating Payment).
EDF Priority Services RegisterFree EDF service for vulnerable customers: Braille / large-print bills, advance outage warnings, password protection on doorstep visits.
ECO4 / Great British Insulation SchemeFunded insulation, heating upgrades and energy-efficiency measures for fuel-poor households ; EDF is one of the obligated installers.
EDF affordable repayment planOfgem rules require EDF to offer a personalised repayment plan if you cannot clear arrears in a single payment. Call 0333 200 5100 to set one up.

EDF Energy Customer Support Fund - frequently asked questions

No. The original EDF Energy Trust closed at the end of December 2019 ; the last application date was 30 November 2019. Today the equivalent scheme is the EDF Energy Customer Support Fund, administered by Charis Grants on behalf of EDF Energy.

Only existing EDF Energy domestic customers (gas, electricity or dual fuel) with an outstanding debt or arrears on their EDF account and a demonstrable financial hardship. You must have already engaged with free money advice from a recognised agency.

Grants typically clear outstanding gas and electricity debt up to around £1,500. In some cases the fund may also pay for essential white goods (cooker, fridge-freezer, washing machine) where the lack of an appliance is contributing to fuel poverty.

No. Grants are paid directly to EDF Energy (and the appliance retailer for white-goods awards). The amount is credited to your EDF account ; nothing is paid into your bank account.

Charis Grants normally writes back within 6 days if any evidence is missing. From submission of complete evidence to outcome is typically around 6 weeks ; longer in winter when application volumes peak.

You can re-apply if your circumstances change. The most common refusal reasons are incomplete evidence, no engagement with money advice, or an unclear plan to manage future bills. Get fresh advice from Citizens Advice or StepChange before re-applying.

No. This fund is for EDF Energy customers only. If your supplier is British Gas, OVO, Scottish Power, E.ON Next or another company, look up that supplier's equivalent scheme - many are administered by Charis Grants on the same Let's Talk portal.

The original EDF Energy Trust line is no longer in service. Call the Let's Talk helpline on 01733 421 021 for the Customer Support Fund, or EDF Energy customer service on 0333 200 5100 for general account queries.

Start your application

Apply online via the Let's Talk portal or call the helpline for paper forms.

Apply on Let's Talk Call 01733 421 021

Further reading

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