- How the 150 pound discount reaches you
- Eligibility in England and Wales: the core group
- Scotland: automatic for some, apply to your supplier for others
- The scheme timeline, step by step
- No letter by early January? What GOV.UK says to do
- Energy suppliers taking part in the scheme
- Plain advice to make sure you get the Warm Home Discount
- Frequently asked questions
The Warm Home Discount is a one-off 150 pounds off your electricity bill, applied by your supplier rather than paid to you. As of Nov 2026, GOV.UK says most eligible people get it automatically after a letter, while some people in Scotland need to apply to their energy supplier directly. It isn't available in Northern Ireland.
This is one of those schemes where doing nothing is usually the right move, right up until the point where it isn't. Most eligible households in England and Wales never fill in a form, but a missing letter or a Scottish supplier with limited places can mean you miss out. Here's how GOV.UK says the scheme works and when you need to act.
How the 150 pound discount reaches you
GOV.UK describes the Warm Home Discount Scheme as a one-off 150 pounds off your electricity bill. If you're eligible, your electricity supplier applies it to your bill. The money isn't paid to you. A few practical points from the GOV.UK guide:
- If your supplier gives you both gas and electricity, you may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead, so ask your supplier.
- You can still qualify on a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go meter. Your supplier tells you how you'll get it, for example a voucher to top up your meter.
- The discount won't affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.
- Park (mobile) home residents apply a different way, through the Park Homes Warm Home Discount.
- The scheme isn't available in Northern Ireland, where GOV.UK points to the Affordable Warmth scheme.
Eligibility in England and Wales: the core group
You may be eligible if all of these applied on the scheme's qualifying date, which GOV.UK gives as 23 August for the current round:
- your energy supplier is part of the scheme
- you (or your partner) get certain means-tested benefits
- your name (or your partner's) is on the electricity bill
GOV.UK calls this the core group. The qualifying means-tested benefits are Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Pension Credit. If you're eligible, your letter confirms you don't need to do anything and your supplier applies the discount. If you might be eligible but more information is needed, the letter tells you to call the helpline to confirm your details.
Scotland: automatic for some, apply to your supplier for others
The same three conditions apply in Scotland, but GOV.UK splits people into two groups. You get the discount automatically, as part of the core group, 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, or get a disability premium or pensioner premium with income-related ESA or a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.
You're also in the core group if you or your partner are responsible for a child under 5 who normally lives with you and you're unemployed and get Universal Credit, get income-related ESA, or have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.
Everyone else has to apply directly to their energy supplier. GOV.UK calls this the broader group. Your supplier may have extra eligibility criteria and will tell you which benefits count. GOV.UK says to contact them as early as possible and check even if you were eligible in an earlier round, because the number of discounts suppliers can give is limited. You'll need to stay with your supplier until the discount is paid.
The scheme timeline, step by step
GOV.UK gives these dates for the current round, as of Nov 2026:
| Stage | When, per GOV.UK |
|---|---|
| Qualifying date for your benefits and bill | 23 August |
| Letters sent to eligible households | Between late October and early January |
| Call the scheme if no letter has come | After early January, before 26 February |
| Call the helpline if your letter asks for details | By 26 February |
| Supplier applies the discount to your bill | By 31 March |
No letter by early January? What GOV.UK says to do
This is where people lose out. GOV.UK says to contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you haven't had a letter by early January and you think you're eligible, and you must contact them before 26 February. If you're in Scotland and applied directly to your energy supplier, you won't get a letter from the scheme, so you contact your supplier instead.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline is 0800 030 9322 (Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 229 4325), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can also write to Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 970, Preston PR2 0FX.
Energy suppliers taking part in the scheme
GOV.UK lists these suppliers as part of the scheme:
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- 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK)
- Boost
- British Gas, and Scottish Gas through British Gas
- E (Gas and Electricity)
- Ecotricity
- EDF
- E.ON Next
- Fuse Energy
- Good Energy
- Home Energy
- London Power
- Octopus Energy, which also covers EnergyCoop
- Outfox Energy
- OVO
- Sainsbury's Energy
- ScottishPower
- So Energy
- Square 1 Energy Ltd
- TruEnergy
- Tulo Energy
- Utilita
- Utility Warehouse
If your electricity supplier stops trading, you may still be eligible. Ofgem appoints a new supplier for you, and you check with that new supplier whether you're eligible.
Plain advice to make sure you get the Warm Home Discount
Make sure your name, or your partner's, is on the electricity bill, because that's one of the three conditions. Check the Warm Home Discount Scheme pages on GOV.UK for your nation, and if you're in Scotland and not in the core group, contact your supplier early rather than waiting, since places in the broader group are limited.
Put a note in your diary for early January to check whether a letter has arrived, so you've got time before the 26 February cut-off. It's a one-off discount, so these money-saving tips and the best money-saving apps in the UK can help with the rest.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Warm Home Discount?
As of Nov 2026, GOV.UK says it's a one-off 150 pounds off your electricity bill. It's applied to the bill by your supplier, not paid to you.
Do I need to apply for the Warm Home Discount?
In England and Wales, eligible people in the core group get it automatically after a letter. In Scotland, people outside the core group need to apply to their energy supplier directly.
Which benefits qualify in England and Wales?
Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Pension Credit, provided your supplier is in the scheme and your name or your partner's is on the bill.
What if I haven't had a Warm Home Discount letter?
Contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you haven't had a letter by early January and think you're eligible. You must contact them before 26 February.
Can I get the Warm Home Discount on a prepayment meter?
Yes. Your supplier tells you how you'll get it, for example a voucher you can use to top up your meter.
Is the Warm Home Discount available in Northern Ireland?
No. GOV.UK says the scheme isn't available in Northern Ireland and points to the Affordable Warmth scheme instead.
