Millions of households are set to receive £150 off their energy bills between October and January via the 2026 Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Around six million households who get a qualifying benefit are set to receive the rebate this year according to government estimates. People who are eligible will begin receiving letters about it in the coming months.
Most eligible households who receive means-tested benefits will automatically get the rebate if the person receiving the benefits is named on their electricity bill.
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What is the Warm Home Discount?
The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme designed to help households with the additional cost of heating in colder months. It was introduced in 2011 and will run until at least October 2030 after the government extended it earlier this year.
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Unlike the Winter Fuel Payment, it is not cash that’s paid into your bank account. Instead, it is applied as credit on your electricity bill.
If you are eligible for this winter’s discount, it will be credited to your energy account between October 2026 and March 2027.
The vast majority of households in England and Wales who get the discount will receive it automatically, but some have to apply for it.
Who can get the Warm Home Discount in 2026?
If you live in England and Wales, you are eligible for the discount if, on 23 August 2026, you or your partner got certain means-tested benefits, your or your partner’s name was on your electricity bill, and your energy supplier is part of the scheme.
The means-tested benefits that qualify you for the Warm Home Discount are:
- Pension Credit (either the Guaranteed element or Savings Credit element)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Housing Benefit
- Universal Credit
Most but not all energy suppliers participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme. You can find out if yours does by checking the full list of suppliers on gov.uk.
Households eligible for the Warm Home Discount typically receive a letter telling them between October and January each winter.
What about households in Scotland?
If you live in Scotland, you can also receive a Warm Home Discount in 2026/27 if, on 23 August 2026, you or your partner got certain means-tested benefits, your or your partner’s name was on your electricity bill, and your energy supplier is part of the scheme.
You will receive the discount automatically if you are part of the ‘core group’ and get:
- Pension Credit
- an extra amount of Universal Credit because you or your child has a disability or health condition
- a disability premium or a pensioner premium of income-related Employment Support Allowance
- a disability premium or a pensioner premium and have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan
You’ll also get the discount automatically if you or your partner looks after a child under five who normally lives with you and you:
- are unemployed and get Universal Credit
- get Income-related Employment Support Allowance
- have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan
You may also get a £150 rebate if you are part of the ‘broader group’, in that you receive one of the below benefits:
- Pension Age Disability payment
- Adult Disability payment
- Universal Credit
- Income support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
However, if you are in the broader group, it is at your supplier’s discretion as to whether it offers you the £150 rebate. You also have to apply directly for one of the grants through your supplier.
How to get the Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount is usually automatically credited to your account, as energy providers use the names and addresses on energy bills to check if you are eligible for the rebate.
However, in some cases you may have to apply manually if the government needs more information from you.
For example, you may need to contact the Warm Home Discount helpline to provide additional information if the government can’t match your details with an energy firm participating in the scheme.
In Scotland, you may need to apply for a Warm Home Discount if you fall outside of the core group.
Can you get the Warm Home Discount and the Winter Fuel Payment?
If you are eligible for the Warm Home Discount and also the Winter Fuel Payment, you can get both benefits as they are two separate government schemes.
While the government had previously restricted the Winter Fuel Payment to pensioners on Pension Credit, they backtracked from this position in June 2025.
Since last winter, pensioners with an annual income over £35,000 have to repay the Winter Fuel Payment, unless choosing to opt out.
