Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Alternative Fund

The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Alternative Fund provides a payment of £200 to households that use alternative fuels, which may include heating oil, biomass and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). These would be the main source of heating.

This scheme is for households in Great Britain. The main part of the scheme is being delivered through domestic electricity suppliers in one instalment in February, so most eligible households will have already received this AFP payment automatically through their electricity supplier. However, some households will need to apply for the payment if they do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier.

The AFP Alternative Fund was set up to provide the payment to these households. You may qualify for an AFP if you are:

• a park home resident and you pay the site owner for your electricity
• a housing association, social sector, private tenant or leaseholder. This applies if your electricity is supplied by your landlord through a commercial meter
• you live in a houseboat on a residential mooring
• you are on a private electricity network, for example you are supplied by a heat network
• an off-grid household
• a traveller household on an authorised site
• farmers living in domestic farmhouses on a farm
• a household in temporary or supported accommodation

How to apply

This scheme is being led and funded by HM Government with support to make payments from Gateshead Council.

To apply for a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment, an application must be made online through the gov.uk website (opens new window) . You should read the more detailed information about the types of households that can apply for a payment and all of the eligibility criteria on gov.uk before making your application.

The latest date you can submit your application is 31 May 2023.

Gateshead Council cannot accept direct applications from residents. You must apply through gov.uk using the link below or if you're unable to use the digital service, you can call the national helpline on 0808 175 3287. Their phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

Completed applications will automatically be passed to Gateshead Council. These will be checked to ensure all eligibility criteria has been met and we will then issue a payment of £200. Payments can only be made direct to a personal bank account in the applicant's name. The application form will give more information about this.

Apply for alternative fuel bill support (opens new window)

If you need to supply more information

You may be asked to supply further evidence to support your application. This can be an email including a scanned copy or digital photograph of the documents we have asked for. Your email should be sent to energyrebate@gateshead.gov.uk and include your full name, the first line of your address and your postcode.

How your data will be used

HM Government and Gateshead Council will need to share data about your application. This is to ensure that we make accurate payments and to allow HM Government to monitor the AFP Alternative Fund. 

If you would like more information about how your data will be shared and used as part of your application, you will find this in the privacy notice (opens new window)  which covers the scheme.