Energy firms are taking various approaches as to how they will dish out the £400 per household from the government as part of the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

How you’ll be paid this money depends on your supplier and how you pay for your energy bills.

The government announced in May that each household in the UK would receive £400 to help with bills from October, with no requirement to pay the money back.

The scheme replaced an earlier plan announced in February which would give people a £200 rebate on bills this winter, with the cash to be repaid at a later date.

Regardless of your supplier, the £400 rebate will be paid out in monthly instalments of £66 in October and November, then £67 from December to March.

However, suppliers differ as to how they will give their customers the money.

How you’ll get the discount depends on how you pay for your energy bills as well as your supplier. Those paying by monthly direct debit, standard credit (on receipt of a bill) or using a smart prepayment meter, will get the discount automatically without having to do anything.

Households with a traditional prepayment meter will be sent vouchers via text, email or post, and they will need to redeem these when topping-up.

Standard credit meters

If you pay by monthly direct debit, the following suppliers have gone for the simplest option of a direct debit reduction.

• Bulb
• E.On
• Octopus Energy
• Shell Energy
• So Energy
• Utility Warehouse

The following suppliers are sending the £66 or £67 instalments to direct debit customers’ bank accounts instead, typically a few days after the direct debit has been paid.

• British Gas
• EDF Energy
• Ovo Energy
• Scottish Power
• SSE

If you pay for energy on receipt of your bill, the money will be credited to your account by all suppliers.

Prepayment meters

If you have a smart prepayment meter the following suppliers will be crediting the monthly payments to customers’ electricity accounts.

• British Gas
• Bulb
• EDF Energy
• Ovo Energy
• Scottish Power
• So Energy
• SSE
• Utility Warehouse

A small number of suppliers are splitting the cash evenly between customers’ electricity and gas accounts. These suppliers are:

• E.On
• Octopus Energy
• Shell Energy

If you have a traditional prepayment meter, your supplier will give you a voucher you can use on gas or electricity.