£400 energy support payment
The government sends every household a cheque. Does it actually help?
Mechanical ledgerA direct double-entry movement — no calibration debate.The verdict
Households pay 35p of every £1 of pressure. Government gain 50p.
35pof every £1 of pressure lands on Households
Where the pressure moves
The £1 pressure trail
Green trails = cash / relief received. Red trails = pressure absorbed. Every £1 has to land somewhere.Every £1 of pressure · rebased to 100p
How to read this — three tiers
Ledger— Real cash, deposits or reserves move between actors. Conservation-checked.
Valuation— Existing assets are marked up or down. No cash changes hands, but balance sheets move.
Indicator— A directional pressure gauge only. Not a cash movement and not a balance-sheet entry.
Who gains
- Government+50p
Who pays
- Households−35p
- Businesses−15p
What it means for one person
Margaret
retired, prepayment meter, one-bed flat
She receives the full £400 as cash — but £180 of it flows straight to her energy supplier by month's end. The rest is savings runway.
The context
Universal transfers land as cash on household balance sheets and appear as spending on the government's. But how much of it stays with households — and how much leaks straight back out?
Explore further
Change a lever. See how the trail moves.
Sources
More scenarios