Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

The possible removal of financial help from the UK Government with energy bills is a “huge worry,” the manager of Rhymney Valley Foodbank has said.

Steve Jones, food bank operations manager, said if the UK Government discontinues the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) at its current levels, it would be damaging.

At the food bank, which operates in the Upper Rhymney Valley, Steve has seen first hand the struggles of people facing fuel poverty.

“For people who are already facing severe hardship,” said Steve, “it’s a worry, a huge worry.”

The EPG from the UK Government has ensured that household bills are capped at £2,500 – but help is scheduled to be reduced by April 1.

However, according to reports from the BBC, help will continue for three months.

This would be important from what Steve has seen at the food bank, which is supported by the Trussell Trust.

Steve is responsible for vetting and handing out energy vouchers to people in the area and according to his own figures, the food bank has handed out more than £25,000 worth of fuel vouchers since November 2022. 

“We have issued 516 energy vouchers totalling £25,284,” said Steve, “I’ve done five today.”

Gas prices increased by more than 129% and electricity prices by more than 66% in the year to January 2023, according to statistics from the Office for National Statistics.

Prices of energy bills cause difficulty alone but also have a knock-on effect. 

One visitor to the food bank from Rhymney, who didn’t want to be named, had come to see if he was eligible for help.

Despite earning £1,400 a month, rising food, fuel and energy prices have made it difficult to make ends meet.

His energy bills are now £400 a month on a pre-paid meter. It is “murder at present”, he said. 

The energy voucher scheme is available to most people under the age of 67, with one voucher available each month at a value of £49. 

Rhymey Valley Foodbank facilitates the vouchers after becoming an official partner of the Fuel Bank Foundation, which administers money from the Welsh Government. 

The vouchers can take up to 72 hours to come through to a person’s email or phone via text message, though in Steve’s experience, they can often come through in around four hours. 

The food bank now also has warm packs it can hand out – camouflage bags including items such as thermal t-shirts, long johns, hot water bottles, fleeces, gloves and hats.

Several have been picked up by homeless people and have been generally popular – Steve ordered ten last week and had just one left.

It is a sign, perhaps, that people are looking for alternative ways to keep warm. 

While the weather is likely to get warmer as spring comes, many people are feeling the pinch.

“My bills have gone up ridiculously,” said Steve, “I’m just looking after one person and I’m fortunate to have a full-time job.” 

There will also be some people in society who will need to continue to heat their homes which is important to consider, Steve said. 

“There are households out there that need to have the heating on all day. It might be somebody with disabilities or it might be a family with babies in the house.”

What will happen to energy prices in April?

The energy price guarantee (EPG) is in place until the end of March and ensures household bills across the country are capped at £2,500. There has also been a £400 winter discount.

There have been no guarantees from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt that help will continue from April 1. 

However, the BBC has recently reported that it understands that the EPG will continue at the same level for three months. 

Without government support, a typical household’s bill would have been £4,279 a year from January, under the energy price cap set by Ofgem. 

Though the new energy price cap is set to be £3,280, prices could increase by £500 from what households are currently paying without the government’s financial support acting as a buffer. 

The Welsh Government has also provided help including a non-repayable £200 for more than 400,000 households through the Fuel Support Scheme. This scheme has now closed. 

A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: “If the UK Government decides to raise its energy price guarantee to £3,000 in April, at the same time as ending the £400 payment, the number of people struggling to pay their bills will rise. We urge the Chancellor to think again and keep the guarantee at its current level.

“We are continuing to provide targeted support to people who need help with the cost-of-living crisis – we are spending more than £190m over the next two years to help people in fuel poverty.

“Our Discretionary Assistance Fund provides lifeline emergency cash payments for people facing severe financial pressures.”