A rebate of £150 will be available to thousands of households to help with rising energy bills.

The money will be distributed to taxpayers in council tax bands A-D from April.

Homeowners in South and the Vale are urged to by the government to set-up a direct debit, as the money will go directly into their accounts.

Those who do not pay via direct debit will be contacted by the council and invited to make a claim, the process will take slightly longer.

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In order to receive the payment as quickly as possible, the council is asking residents to pay their bill by direct debit.

Councillor Leigh Rawlins, cabinet member for finance at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “I know many people are concerned about rising energy costs so it is very important that they receive this money quickly.

“If you are not on direct debit, I urge you to sign up now as this will help to ensure that you’ll receive the money as soon as possible.”

The Government package of support, known as the Energy Bills Rebate, is worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23.

Limited funding will also be made available for households in need who would not otherwise be eligible for this energy rebate.

This will be a local discretionary scheme and details will be made available on the council’s website in due course.

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