Warm Home Discount offers £150 off energy bills – what is it and who can get it?
The Warm Home Discount is paid by the government to some households to help them keep the heating on during the winter. How exactly does the scheme work and who is eligible?
Millions of households who may be eligible for the Warm Home Discount have been urged to check their name is included on their energy bill by later this month in order to automatically get the support.
The Warm Home Discount is an annual £150 rebate on your electricity bill that’s applied if you or your partner are on a qualifying benefit.
The scheme is set to run until 2031 after being extended by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
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The government estimates around six million households will receive the rebate this winter.
However, you need to ensure your name or the name of your partner who is receiving a qualifying benefit is on your electricity bill by 23 August otherwise you won’t receive the £150 discount.
What is the Warm Home Discount?
The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme designed to cover the additional cost of energy households typically use over the colder months.
The scheme was introduced in 2011 and is not a cash payment like the Winter Fuel Payment. Rather, it’s applied as a credit on eligible households’ energy accounts between October and March.
The vast majority of households in England and Wales receive the discount 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, your energy supplier is taking part in the scheme, you or your partner’s name is on your electricity bill and either one of you receives one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit (either the Guaranteed element or Savings Credit element)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Housing Benefit
- Universal Credit
Not all energy suppliers participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme. A full list of suppliers that do can be found 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, your energy supplier is taking part in the scheme, you or your partner’s name is on your electricity bill and either one of you receives a qualifying benefit.
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 issued automatically, as energy providers use the names and addresses on energy bills to check if you are eligible for the rebate.
However, you may have to apply 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 Allowance?
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.
