To coincide with the energy cap increase due October, the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme/rebate of £400 will start to be rolled out to households by energy firms at £65 per month Oct - Dec and then £67 per month Jan- March.

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Over a week ago Shelter once again attention seeking media coverage when claiming/stating that: “Tenants whose energy bills are included in their rent or service charge cannot directly claim the energy discount. Instead, they will be at the mercy of their landlord passing on this much-needed support.”

An industry body chief executive spoke out against the ‘usual suspects’ claims about the application of the Support Scheme in the PRS, said :“Payments from the Government’s Energy Bill Support Scheme are not due to begin until October. Given this, it is irresponsible scaremongering on the part of some to be making baseless suggestions that landlords will not do the right thing by their tenants.

“The support payments should help whoever is shouldering the costs of increased energy bills. That could be either a tenant or the landlord.

“Where rents include the cost of utilities, if they have been set to reflect recent and likely future energy price rises landlords should be passing the savings from the Government’s scheme onto their tenants.

“However, where all-inclusive rents do not reflect the higher costs of energy, or where rents have been frozen to support tenants, then it is the landlord who will be shouldering costs of higher energy bills. In cases such as this the system should recognise that it is the landlord that needs the support.”

He continued “One off pots of money like this cannot disguise the need for fundamental reform of the benefits system to support vulnerable tenants and landlords alike. This needs to include unfreezing housing benefit rates and giving tenants the choice, if they so wish, to have housing cost support paid directly to their landlord.”