The regulator’s annual report on the third year of the WHD scheme said that vulnerable customers received a total of £291 million off their energy bills, more than the suppliers’ minimum obligation.
More than 1.8 million customers received a rebate of £135 to help with their energy costs during the winter of 2013/14. An additional 500,000 customers received other types of support.
Two new suppliers, First Utility and Utility Warehouse, joined the WHD scheme last year, “resulting in the benefits of the scheme being available to the customers of more suppliers”, the report said.
The WHD scheme was launched by Ofgem in 2011, and stated that suppliers should provide £1.13 billion of support to those in or at risk of fuel poverty over four years.
Ofgem added that it expects another £310 million of support to be provided to vulnerable consumers for this winter, adding that another supplier, Co-operative Energy, has also joined the scheme.
A total of 2 million people will receive the scheme this year after the government expanded it earlier this month to include an additional 200,000 pensioners.