Can you get Alternative Fuel Payments for Using your Woodburner to Heat your Home?

What is the government doing?

The UK government continues to provide support to the households across the UK that need it the most, which is why the announcement by Energy Secretary, Grant Shapps, has increased the length of time that applicants can provide evidence of the purchase of alternative fuels by an extra three months to June 2022 rather than September 2022. Concerns had been raised that households that had stocked up on heating oil or solid fuels and wood fuels during summer months would have been disadvantaged by the September cut-off. 

The Alternative Fuel Payment is available to households which are not connected to the main gas grid and are using alternative fuels as their main source of heating. It is an additional payment on top of the £400 paid by electricity suppliers and it will cover homes that are heated by LPG, tank or bottled gas, oil and solid fuels as well as wood fuels. 

Will I be eligible for the APF if I am using my wood burner to heat my home? 

The majority of homes which are eligible will receive the payment automatically in the form of a credit on their energy bills, but if not you can check your eligibility and apply for the APF here. 

We welcome this news and urge you to apply where appropriate. Andy Hill, chair of the SIA, the UK trade association for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers of solid fuel stoves and their component parts and fuel, commented:

“This is a common-sense announcement and ensures that those households that did plan ahead, buying their wood logs and solid fuel supplies in the summer months last year, will not be penalised for doing so. Wood and solid fuel heating is an essential lifeline for the many thousands of homes that are off the gas grid network, and for remote and very rural locations it is vital to ensure that a fuel supply for the winter months is sourced well in advance.”

Nic Snell
15th April 2023