Through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, energy companies are able to offer eligible households who may struggle with their energy bills a discount on their winter electricity bill.
See also:
Winter Fuel Payment
Cold Weather Payment
updated June 2023
What you’ll get
You could get £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2023 to 2024 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
The money is not paid to you – it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October 2023 and March 2024.
You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity. Contact your supplier to find out.
The discount won’t affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.
Not everyone gets the discount – check if you qualify.
Pre-pay or pay-as-you-go meters
You can still qualify for the discount if you use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter.
Your electricity supplier can tell you how you’ll get the discount if you’re eligible, for example a voucher you can use to top up your meter.
Park (mobile) homes
You apply a different way if you live in a park home.
Park home applications for winter 2023 to 2024 will open in autumn 2023.
Contact Charis Grants for more information and to be told when the scheme reopens.
Eligibility
There are 2 ways to qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme:
- you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit – known as the ‘core group’
- you’re on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme – known as the ‘broader group’
How you apply for the Warm Home Discount Scheme depends on how you qualify for the discount.
If you live in Scotland
You qualify if you either:
- get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
- are on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme
The Warm Home Discount scheme is not available in Northern Ireland. Find out about the Affordable Warmth scheme.
If you don’t qualify
You may be able to apply directly to your electricity supplier for help if you don’t get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit but:
- you’re on a low income
- you get certain means-tested benefits
Check with your supplier to see if you’re eligible and how to apply.
Electricity suppliers
The following suppliers are part of the scheme:
- Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy
- Atlantic – see SSE
- Boost
- British Gas
- British Gas Evolve (formerly British Gas X) – see British Gas
- Bulb Energy
- Co-op Energy – see Octopus Energy
- E (Gas and Electricity)
- Ecotricity
- E.ON
- E.ON Next
- EDF
- GEUK (Green Energy UK) – if you live in Scotland, you must be in the ‘core group’ to be eligible
- Good Energy
- London Power
- M&S Energy
- Nabuh Energy – see British Gas
- Octopus Energy
- Outfox the Market
- OVO
- Rebel Energy – if you live in Scotland, you must be in the ‘core group’ to be eligible
- Sainsbury’s Energy
- Scottish Gas – see British Gas
- Scottish Hydro – see SSE
- ScottishPower
- Shell Energy Retail
- So Energy
- Southern Electric – see SSE
- SSE
- Swalec – see SSE
- Utilita
- Utility Warehouse
If your supplier is no longer trading
If the electricity supplier you were with stops trading, you may still be eligible for a Warm Home Discount. Ofgem will appoint your new supplier for you.
If you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, the Department for Work and Pensions will write to you with more information by mid-December.
If you’re on a low income, check with your new supplier
How to apply
Your electricity supplier decides who can get the discount.
The number of discounts suppliers can give is limited. Check with your supplier as early as possible to see if you’re eligible and how to apply.
Check with them even if you were eligible for a discount last year.
Your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by 31 March 2022.
If you don’t get a letter
Contact the Warm Home Discount helpline if you do not get the letter by mid-January 2023 and you think you’re eligible.
You’ll need to call the helpline before 28 February 2023.
Warm Home Discount helpline
Telephone: 0800 107 8002
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
110552 Warm Home Discount Scheme
PO Box 26965
Glasgow
G1 9BW
If you live in Scotland
If you do not get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit you may be able to apply directly to your electricity supplier. All the following must apply:
- your energy supplier is part of the scheme
- you (or your partner) get certain means-tested benefits or tax credits
- your name (or your partner’s) is on the bill
If you don’t qualify for the discount
If you are on a low income you may be able to apply directly to your electricity supplier for help if you don’t qualify because you don’t get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.
Check if you’re eligible to apply another way.
Updated May 2023