The Warm Home Discount Scheme reopens in October, providing eligible households across England, Wales and Scotland with a one-off £150 discount on electricity bills. The discount is applied by energy suppliers rather than paid directly into bank accounts.
The scheme is separate from the Winter Fuel Payment, which is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to eligible state pensioners born on or before June 27, 1960, with payments between £100 and £300 due to roll out from November.
Who qualifies for the £150 discount
According to criteria set out by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), households where the billpayer is on means-tested benefits are in line for the £150 rebate this winter. In England and Wales, households in receipt of Housing Benefit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Universal Credit will be eligible – the same cohort as last winter.
The discount is also available to households in Scotland, but the qualifying criteria is slightly different. You’ll get it if you or your partner get Pension Credit, get an extra amount of Universal Credit because you or your child has a disability or health condition, get a disability premium or a pensioner premium of income-related Employment Support Allowance, or get a disability premium or a pensioner premium and have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.
How the scheme works
Explaining the October scheme, the government said: “The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill. If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you. You’ll usually get the discount automatically if you’re eligible. You may need to apply directly to your energy supplier if you live in Scotland. You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity and you’re eligible. Contact your supplier to find out. The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.”
Households will receive it automatically from October if eligible, with around six million households expected to receive it this winter.
Suppliers and additional savings
The following energy suppliers will all be part of the winter 2026 to 2027 scheme: 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK or GEUK), Boost, British Gas, E - also known as E (Gas and Electricity), Ecotricity, EDF, EnergyCoop – see Octopus Energy, E.ON Next, Fuse Energy, Good Energy, Home Energy, London Power, Octopus Energy, Outfox Energy, OVO, Sainsbury’s Energy, Scottish Gas – see British Gas, ScottishPower, So Energy, Square 1 Energy Ltd, TruEnergy, Tulo Energy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse.
The £150 off comes on top of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirming that VAT will be removed from domestic electricity bills from October 1, saving £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap.
