Residents in Pimlico who haven’t claimed their support for their energy bills will be able to do so at a drop in on Wednesday.
The pop-up stand at Pimlico Post Office on Lupus Street will run all day on April 5 from 9am to 5pm and will allow customers with prepayment meters to request new vouchers worth up to £400.
Under the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) everyone who tops up their electricity meter with a key or card was entitled to six monthly vouchers worth £66 and £67, however data suggests £36 million nationally has gone unclaimed.
Only 63% of vouchers have been redeemed in the capital, with take up in the Cities of London and Westminster even lower at just 52%, with £400,000 of support as yet unused.
Similar initiatives have been launched in other London boroughs, including in West Hampstead.
Although many vouchers issued under the scheme, which winds up at the end of June, have expired, residents will be able to request new vouchers back to October 2022.
People will also be able to seek help about how to use the vouchers and Citizens’ Advice experts will be at the drop-in.
Mark Cazaly, the Head of Corporate Responsibility at the Post Office, said: “Post Office is pleased to be working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help people on prepayment meters claim their £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers.
“We want to make sure everyone claims what they are entitled to by hosting a community drop-in day at the Lupus Street Post Office on 5th April to give people the chance to find out how to use their vouchers or request new ones as well as how to get help with their energy bills from Citizens’ Advice.”
The offer comes after the ban on new prepayment meters installed by energy companies was extended indefinitely. The regulator Ofgem estimates that as many as 600,000 people were forced onto meters in 2022 after not being able to afford their bills.
Image: Post Office.