The government announced that it is providing new funding to local authorities to provide a £150 rebate via their council tax bills as well as extra funding to help with increased administrative costs. As a result in February 2022 Guildford Borough Council (GBC) announced that council taxpayers living in a band A to D property would receive a tax energy rebate. GBC has reported that since May 2022 they have paid this rebate to 21,000 eligible households. However, this means that approximately one-third of households in the Guildford borough has yet to apply.
If you pay by direct debit
GBC has already paid almost all the energy rebate payments to customers who pay their council tax by direct debit. If you pay by direct debit and have received a letter from GBC asking you to apply you can use the form to apply.
How to claim your £150 energy rebate now
Applicants must apply online for the rebate rather than by phone, email or in writing. You will need:
- the council tax account number as shown on your bill
- your date of birth
- a bank statement which shows your name, address, bank account number and sort code
Things to remember:
- the £150 one-off payment is for households living in council tax bands A to D
- households do not need to pay back the council tax rebate
- the rebate is usually paid within 10 days of applying
- you are still entitled to the rebate if you receive Local Council Tax Support. This is the case even if your council tax bill is less than £150
Claim your £150 energy rebate now https://guildford.gov.uk/article/26327/How-to-apply. If you have not applied by 15 July 2022 GBC will take your energy rebate payment off your council tax bill instead. A new bill will then be sent to you in July.
How is the Energy Bills Rebate funded?
The government has announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23. This includes:
- A £200 discount on their energy bill this Autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain. This will be paid back automatically over the next 5 years.
- A £150 non-repayable Council Tax Rebate payment for all households that are
liable for Council Tax in Bands A-D in England. - £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households
who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax Rebate. - The devolved administrations are receiving around £715 million funding through the
Barnett formula as usual where UK Government support doesn’t cover Scotland, Wales
or Northern Ireland.