Warm home discount

The warm home discount is a one-off £150 credit to help with winter energy bills.

You won’t receive the money as cash.

Instead, it will be applied directly to your electricity account.

If you have a dual-fuel account and get your gas and electricity from the same supplier, you may be able to have the credit applied to your gas bill instead.

But not all suppliers allow this, so it’s best to check early.

If you’re on a smart prepayment meter, your £150 payment will usually be added directly to your meter as credit, and you’ll be told via text or email when it’s applied.

England and Wales

To qualify for the warm home discount, you or your partner must be named on the electricity bill.

You should also be getting one of the following benefits: 

• universal credit
• pension credit
• income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
• income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
• income support
• housing benefit

You’ll get a letter between October 2025 and early January 2026 telling you: 

• you’ll get the discount automatically, or
• you might be eligible, but need to confirm details

If you’re asked for more information, call the warm home discount helpline at 0800 030 9322.

If you haven’t had a letter by January 2026 but think you’re eligible, call the helpline before the end of February 2026.

Most letters arrive between October and January, so if yours doesn’t arrive early on, don’t panic.

Scotland

The scheme works a little differently if you live north of the border.

 There are two groups:

1. Core group

 Pension-age households who get pension credit guarantee credit are eligible for help with their bills.

You’ll get a letter automatically if you qualify, so you don’t have to do anything.

2. Broader group

Low-income households on means-tested benefits can get the warm homes discount if:

• your electricity supplier is part of the scheme
• you or your partner are named on the bill

You must apply each year, and places are limited, so apply as soon as applications open in October.

It’s also important to remember that some suppliers may have extra eligibility criteria, so find out what conditions you need to meet.

The deadline to be added for automatic payment this year (24 August 2025) has now passed.

But don’t worry - you can still apply manually later in the year.

If you qualify for the warm home discount, you’ll get a confirmation letter between October and early January explaining what to do next.

If you don’t get a letter but think you should, call the warm home discount helpline - 0800 030 9322 - as soon as it opens in mid-November.

In the meantime, check with your supplier to make sure your name is on the bill to avoid any delays.

No, receiving the warm home discount won’t affect other benefits you might be receiving, such as universal credit, pension credit and winter fuel payments.

You might still be able to get the warm home discount after switching suppliers, but it’s important to check a few things first:

Firstly, has your discount has already been applied? If so, it will stay in place even if you switch.

Also, if you switch before the discount is added, your new supplier might not take part in the scheme, or arrangements may be different.

Always contact both your old and new suppliers to confirm what will happen with your warm home discount, so you don’t end up missing out.

You might be entitled to financial support from the government, so use our benefits calculator to find out what help is available to you.