E.ON Energy Fund: How to Apply in 2022
The E.ON Energy Fund is a debt support fund created by the energy provider to help its customers reduce their arrears on gas and electricity bills. It also finances the replacement of faulty household white goods, such as washing machines, cookers and fridge-freezers. You can even get help to fund a boiler replacement. However, strict criteria apply to get it. Find out here what those are to get financial help.
E.ON Energy Fund explained
A few UK energy suppliers offer their own versions of an energy fund. However, they don't all have the same eligibility criteria to get it. Below, Read on to find out if you're eligible and how to apply.
What is the E.ON Energy Fund?
E.ON aims to help its most vulnerable customers around four main areas that contribute to fuel poverty in the UK. Below, we've set out what these are.
1. Clear unpaid energy bills
Falling into arrears creates anxiety as overdue energy bill reminders continue to be sent to you until they're paid off. If you can identify with this, then the E.ON Energy Fund can work with you to help pay off any current or final fuel bill arrears.
2. Replace faulty white goods for free
Higher than average energy bills are symptomatic of faulty household white goods. These tend to use more energy than they should. The E.ON Energy Fund can be used to finance their replacement free of charge. You may be able to receive energy-efficient appliances that use less electricity than before, thus lowering your bills.
3. Help to finance boiler replacement
A faulty boiler can be a principal source of energy wastage, which can hike up your gas bills unnecessarily. As boilers are expensive to replace, E.ON won't offer to replace it free of charge as it does with your faulty white goods. Instead, you will have to pay £395 and the rest will be covered by E.ON under their Affordable Warmth Scheme. Find out more about this below.
4. Fund an e-learning course
Knowledge is the key to managing your finances. There are many things to learn to help yourself become financially stable and secure. The E.ON Energy Fund can provide you with e-learning vouchers to help fund an online course that teaches you how to run your finances efficiently and stay out of debt.
To find out how much E.ON can give you in e-learning vouchers, click on the button below and contact the supplier directly.
What's the process to get my money?
You'll have to go through the following two steps to receive your money under the E.ON Energy Fund:
STEP 1: Apply by submitting E.ON's online form or call them on 0330 380 1090.
- E.ON will explain its reasons for the decision.
- You can reapply if your circumstances change.
- There is no appeals procedure, as the decision is final.
STEP 2: If your application has been successful, E.ON will put you under the "four-month Provisional Award Scheme for debt relief". While that's quite a mouthful, it merely means that you'll have to go through a test before you get your money. Here's how it works:
From a specified date, you'll have to commit to paying your current gas and electricity usage for a period of four months.
If you pay all your energy bills on time, you've passed the test. Your application for the Fund will be accepted, and your account will be credited within 21 days from that date. The payment made will clear any debt on your account.
If you've missed any payments or they're paid late, you fail the test and your application will be rejected. The debt on your account, together with any further arrears accrued over the four-month provisional period, will remain outstanding and payable in full to E.ON.
- You must contact E.ON to agree on an affordable payment plan.
- Any debt you have on your account will be suspended. It will not accrue any interest during the four months.
Am I eligible for the E.ON Energy Fund?
To receive the Fund, you'll have to meet the "main" criteria (common to all the suppliers that offer this scheme) and E.ON's "additional" criteria.
What are the main eligibility criteria?
You will be eligible to benefit from the E.ON Energy Fund if you meet the following criteria:
- You or a household member is in receipt of:
- pension credit
- means-tested council tax reduction
- Child Tax Credits with a total gross household income of £16,190 or less
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Working Tax Credits with a total gross household income of £16,190 or less
- Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Universal credit (and the applicant is either not working or is self-employed)
- Your total household income is £16,190 or less.
- You or a household member is seriously ill or has a terminal illness. The medical condition needs to be verified by a letter from your doctor or medical practitioner.
What are other applicable criteria?
E.ON decides whether or not you are eligible to receive the Fund based on the main criteria, but there are other circumstances that can affect your eligibility. Let's have a look at what these questions are so that you know how to answer them:
Your Circumstances
- Is anybody in the household currently pregnant?
- Have you, or anyone in the household, suffered a bereavement recently?
- Does anyone in the house have a learning difficulty?
- Has your household income recently been reduced?
- Is anybody in the household currently suffering from mental or physical health issues, or recently suffered an illness that has contributed to your household circumstances?
- Are there any other exceptional circumstances relevant to your application, which you have not already mentioned elsewhere in your application form?
Your Home
- How often do you experience problems with dampness or mould in your home?
- How often do you feel cold in your home?
- How often do you experience noticeable draughts in your home?
- Does your household receive a mains gas supply?
- What type of windows do you have at home?
- Are the majority of light bulbs in your home energy efficient/low energy?
How do I get accepted?
You don't want to spend time filling out the form only to have your application for the Energy Fund rejected.
In addition to considering carefully the questions on the online form and how you to answer them, you should also note the following points to increase your chances of having your application accepted:
- Demonstrate to E.ON that you have received debt advice before you apply. If you do this, you increase your chances of making a successful application.
- Evidence of your medical condition (scanned or photocopied) that prevents you from managing your finances must be obtained from a medical professional within the last six months or written/printed on headed paper and signed and dated by the professional.
E.ON Energy Fund Application Tips
We break down a few tips that will help you with your E.ON Energy Fund application below.
- There's no need to send original documents. Scans, photographs or photocopies will suffice.
- If you haven't got the supporting evidence to hand when you submit the form online, you can send it by email or post to Freepost E.ON ENERGY FUND (no stamp required) once you have it.
- All supporting evidence must be dated within three months of your application, (except for annual benefit letters).
- If you're missing any evidence needed to process your application, E.ON will ask for this, giving you 30 days to provide it. If you fail to submit it within this time frame, your application will be closed.