We asked the Department what were the causes of other delays in getting support to customers. The Former Permanent Secretary told us that, in terms of operational challenges, the most difficult schemes were those where people were being asked to apply. For example, the Department launched its portal for 900,000 consumers without a direct relationship to a domestic energy supplier, such as those in park homes, to apply for the EBSS Alternative Funding route for both Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 27 February 2023. The Former Permanent Secretary explained that the Department needed to establish a process and identify a source of data to verify whether applicants for the EBSS Alternative Funding Route had already received support through the main EBSS.18 They also explained that a small number of households will also have to apply for the domestic Alternative Fuel Payment Scheme, for example, consumers who are fully off- grid or households who use alternative fuels for heating in areas where the majority of households are using heating methods supported by the main scheme. Subsequence to our evidence session, the Department opened its portal for these households in early March 2023.19 The delay in getting the support to off-grid consumers affected more rural homes than in urban areas. We received written evidence from the Countryside Alliance which told us that in 2020, 53% of rural homes were off the gas grid compared to just 10% of urban properties.20