in winter, the Energy Bill Support Scheme is supposed to provide payments to every household in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However, there was uncertainty over whether the money could be given to households here as a result of the current political impasse. While Mr Lyons said he had been told when the money would be delivered, Stormont Finance Minister Conor Murphy claimed there was “no guarantee as to when citizens here will receive the corresponding support” compared to the rest of the UK. “The confirmation given today by the Chancellor that the UK Government will deliver the £400 Energy Bill Support Plan is long overdue,” Mr Murphy said. “While the UK Government is committed to providing support as quickly as possible, it has failed to confirm whether households will receive their payment at the same time as those in England, Scotland and Wales. It is deeply regrettable that payments to citizens in the North may be delayed due to the absence of an Executive. “I have made it clear to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy that any delay in issuing these payments to citizens here will be completely unacceptable. “I also stressed to the Chancellor that the £400 payment will not be sufficient to meet the challenges facing households this winter in the face of escalating energy costs and that this amount needs to be reviewed as a matter of urgency.” Earlier this month, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi confirmed he would do everything in his power to deliver the money to households in Northern Ireland, but could not guarantee when the support would be received. On Friday Mr Lyons said he had attended a meeting with Mr Zahawi and Business and Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng. “Just finished a very positive meeting with @nadhimzahawi and @KwasiKwarteng,” he wrote. “The UK Government will deliver the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme as promised. I believe this will be delivered this November. That’s always been the quickest and easiest way to do it.”
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We use a number of different social media to manage additional content that may set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Check their details and accept them to load the content. Manage preferences Last week, Northern Ireland’s utilities regulator said it hoped people here would see the money “this side of Christmas” after the UK government set up a joint taskforce to investigate how households could to better receive funds. Customers face the possibility of a significant increase in their energy costs during the fall and winter months. On Thursday, the Consumer Council’s price check showed that the price of home heating oil in Northern Ireland has risen sharply over the past seven days. A 500 liter heating oil refill costs an average of £476.21 – an increase of £54.37 from last week. Three hundred liters costs an average of £298.39, up from £264.34, while 900 liters comes in at £835.60 – a huge increase of £94.73.
