Warm Home Discount: £150 off your electricity bill

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 taken off your electricity bill over the winter. In England, Wales and Scotland you usually get it automatically if you or your partner receive Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits and your supplier is part of the scheme.

What the Warm Home Discount is

It is a discount, not a payment. The money never reaches your bank account: your electricity supplier takes £150 off your bill. If the same company supplies both your gas and your electricity, you may be able to have it taken off the gas bill instead; ask your supplier.

If you have a prepayment (pay-as-you-go) meter you can still qualify. Your supplier will tell you how you will receive it, for example as a top-up voucher.

The scheme does not run in Northern Ireland, which has a separate Affordable Warmth scheme.

Who qualifies in England and Wales

At the time of writing (November 2026), you qualify for this winter if all of these were true on 23 August 2026:

your energy supplier is part of the scheme
you or your partner were getting a qualifying means-tested benefit
your name, or your partner's, is on the electricity bill

The qualifying benefits listed on GOV.UK are:

Pension Credit
Housing Benefit
Universal Credit
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Who qualifies in Scotland

The same three conditions apply on 23 August 2026, but there are two routes:

Automatic (the "core group"). You get the discount automatically if you or your partner get Pension Credit, and in some other situations involving disability or pensioner premiums or a young child.
By application (the "broader group"). If you do not get it automatically but are on a low income or certain benefits, you need to apply directly to your energy supplier. Suppliers set some of their own criteria and funds are limited, so apply early.

How you get it

Between late October 2026 and early January 2027 you should receive a letter. It will either confirm you will get the discount with no action needed, or ask you to call a helpline to confirm your details.
If the letter asks you to call, do so before 26 February 2027.
Your supplier must apply the discount to your bill by 31 March 2027.

If you think you qualify and have had no letter by early January 2027, contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme on 0800 030 9322 (weekdays, 8am to 6pm). You must contact them before 26 February 2027. Full details are on the Warm Home Discount pages on GOV.UK.

Tip: The date that matters is in August, months before the cold arrives. If you think you may be entitled to Pension Credit, claiming before the summer puts you in line for the following winter's discount.

Park homes

If you live in a park home and pay for electricity through your site owner, you apply in a different way, through a separate park homes scheme. GOV.UK links to the current application route.

Common reasons people miss out

Not claiming Pension Credit. Many people over State Pension age would qualify for the discount if they claimed the benefit they are entitled to.
The bill is in someone else's name. The electricity account needs to be in your name or your partner's. If a late spouse's name is still on the account, ask the supplier to update it.
The supplier is not in the scheme. Most larger suppliers take part, but not every small one does. Check before you switch.
Ignoring the letter. If it asks you to ring the helpline and you do not, the discount may not be applied.
In Scotland, not applying. The broader group has to apply to the supplier each year.

Watch out: The genuine scheme will not ask you for bank details, because nothing is paid to you. If someone calls asking for card or bank details to "release" your Warm Home Discount, hang up. See spotting scams.

How it fits with other winter help

The Warm Home Discount does not affect your Winter Fuel Payment or any Cold Weather Payment: you can receive all three. It is also worth joining the free Priority Services Register, and our guide to keeping warm for less has practical ideas for cutting what you use.

Common questions

Do I need to apply?

In England and Wales, usually not: eligible households are identified automatically and sent a letter. In Scotland, you get it automatically if you are in the core group (for example, on Pension Credit); otherwise you apply to your supplier.

I switched supplier in the autumn. Who gives me the discount?

The rules look at who supplied your electricity on the qualifying date, 23 August 2026. If you have changed supplier since and have not heard anything, ring the helpline or the supplier you were with on that date.

Is it paid every year?

It is assessed afresh each winter using that year's qualifying date, so you may get it one year and not the next if your benefits or supplier change.

Does the discount count as income for benefits?

It is a reduction on your bill rather than money paid to you. If you have a question about how it interacts with your own benefits, Citizens Advice can check for you.