Over £1.3million in energy rebates have already been paid out to people in Warwick district.

Residents eligible for the £150 rebate began to receive payments on Friday courtesy of Warwick District Council after the government had announced the scheme to help with the soaring costs of fuel bills.

Payments have been organised through the council tax system, with those who pay via direct debit at the start of the month receiving their payments first.

The £150 will appear on bank statements as 'WDC Energy Rebate'.

Residents that don't pay by direct debit will soon receive a letter confirming what they need to do to claim the money.

Cllr Jan Matecki, cabinet member for homes, health and wellbeing said: "I'm pleased that the many households in our district that are struggling financially with spiralling fuel bills will soon be receiving their energy rebate payment.

"The team have been working hard on this additional task at the same time as dealing with their current workload, and they've gone the extra mile to ensure that these payments have been made as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring all the necessary checks are in place to prevent fraudulent claims."

A discretionary scheme for those households not eligible for this payment is currently being worked up, and details of this will be available on the council's website.

The council has also requested that residents do not try to contact them at this time, as a significant number of payments will need to be made over the next few weeks to all eligible households.

There is also a leaflet to signpost residents to government and local support packages.