Only around one-sixth of eligible households obtained energy bills support through the scheme set up to help customers lacking a direct contract with a supplier, new figures show. The figures, obtained by Age UK through a Freedom of Information request to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), shows 147,760 households received £400 payments through the Energy Bills Support Scheme- Alternative Fund (EBSS-AF) by the end of June, costing the Exchequer a total of £59.1 million.