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<p>The Government has various policies in place that will support pensioners and other
vulnerable people with their energy bills throughout winter 2016/17,irrespective of
temperature.</p><p> </p><p>The Warm Home Discount scheme provides eligible households
with a £140 energy bill rebate. This winter, over 2 million low income and vulnerable
households, of which over 1.2 million are pensioner households, will be helped under
the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Over 12 million pensioners receive the Winter Fuel Payment
of up to £300 each winter while people on certain benefits, including Pension Credit,
receive a £25 Cold Weather Payment for each seven day period of freezing temperatures.</p><p>
</p><p>The Government is also reforming the Energy Company Obligation to have a greater
focus on vulnerable and low income households. It will have a value of £640m a year,
will run from 2017 until 2022, and and homes helped under the new obligation could
see their energy bills fall by up to £300 per year.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, we
are providing £1.3m to fund the Big Energy Saving Network and running the Big Energy
Saving Week again. This is a grant scheme that supports vulnerable consumers to take
action to reduce their energy costs by switching supplier and taking up energy efficiency,
through outreach by trusted and trained community and third sector organisations.</p><p>
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