The Warm Home Discount explained

Key takeaways

• The Warm Home Discount scheme gives eligible households a £150 reduction on electricity bills between October and March.

• It’s not a cash payment, but a one-off discount applied directly to your bill by your energy supplier.

• In England and Wales, most people in Core Group 1 (pensioners on Guarantee Credit) or Core Group 2 (low income, high energy costs) will get the discount automatically.

• In Scotland, the broader group may need to apply directly to their supplier each year.

• The scheme doesn’t affect other winter benefits like the Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment.

• Check with your energy supplier or the government website each autumn to confirm eligibility and how to apply.

If you're claiming certain benefits, you may be entitled to money off your energy bills in the winter via the Warm Home Discount scheme. Here's what you need to know, and how to claim.

What is the Warm Home Discount scheme?

The Warm Home Discount scheme (WHD) is a government initiative that gives low-income households a £150 discount on their electricity bill. It started in 2011. It opens each year in October and is available until following March, helping with electricity bills and gas bills during the coldest part of the year.

It’s a one-off discount administered by your energy supplier (providing your energy supplier participates in the scheme – see below for participating providers). It isn’t a cash payment, but comes as a reduction in your bill, applied between October and March.

The scheme does not affect your entitlement to either the Winter Fuel Payment or the Cold Weather Payment.

The ‘core groups’ - Core Group 1 and Core Group 2

Pensioners who receive the Guarantee Credit part of the Pension Credit form the so-called ‘core group 1’ and should receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions about their eligibility for the scheme by the end of the year.

‘Core group 2’, formerly known as the ‘broader group’ in England and Wales, consists of those with a low income and high energy costs, and are therefore at risk of fuel poverty. Those eligible must be on one of the following benefits:

• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income Support

• Universal Credit

• Housing benefit

• Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits

• Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC)

This group does not normally need to apply for the Warm Home Discount. Instead, the money is automatically deducted from their bill.

The ‘broader group’

This group still exists in Scotland.

The eligibility criteria for this so-called ‘broader group’ are set by the government, but energy firms can also exercise their own discretion.

Typically, to be eligible you will have to be a recipient of a state benefit such as Income Support or Universal Credit. You might also be able to apply if your annual household income is less than about £16,000, as long as you meet one or more other conditions. These include:

• If there is a child under five living permanently in the house, or

• You receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Incapacity Benefit or Attendance Allowance

You can find out about your supplier’s eligibility criteria on the firm’s website, or via Ofgem.

Don’t worry if you pay for your electricity with a pre-payment meter. You can still apply for the discount and receive a credit to your meter, or a voucher you can redeem if you're using a traditional, non-smart meter.

Am I eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme?

Eligibility for the Warm Home Discount varies depending on where you live in the UK.

England and Wales

If you live in England and Wales, you are eligible for the Warm Home Discount if you get the Guarantee Credit Element of Pension Credit, known as Core Group 1, or if you are on a low income and have high energy costs, known as Core Group 2 (previously the Broader Group).

If you fall into the latter category, you’ll need to be claiming one of the following benefits:

• Housing Benefit

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income Support

• The ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit

• Universal Credit

You may also be eligible if you claim child tax credit or working tax credit and have a low income. You can check your eligibility on the government website.

Scotland

In Scotland, you can claim the Warm Home Discount if you qualify for the Guarantee Credit Element of Pension Credit. People who do are known as the core group.

A separate ‘broader group’ can claim the WHD if they are on a low income, their energy supplier is part of the scheme, and their name is on the bill.

You’ll need to check directly with your electricity supplier, even if you were eligible last year, as payments are not made automatically to the broader group.

Northern Ireland

The WHD scheme is not available in Northern Ireland. There is an Affordable Warmth Scheme for those on low incomes, but it only applies to those living in private housing, including rentals, with social housing not included in the scheme.

How to apply for the Warm Home Discount Scheme

Both core group 1 and core group 2 should have their discount applied to their energy bill automatically, as part of a wider shakeup of how the Warm Home Discount Scheme works in England and Wales. This will occur as long as your provider is part of the Warm Home Discount Scheme. If you’re in Scotland, the system is different, with the broader group (who are claiming benefits other than the guarantee element of Pension Credit) then you will need to apply in order to get the rebate.

You should also bear in mind that being eligible last year does not guarantee you will be again this year. In fact, you will have to apply for it again this time around.

Note that if you switch from one supplier to another before you receive the discount, you will have to reapply for the rebate even if you qualified with the old firm, because the new criteria could be different.

Suppliers do not have to participate in the scheme unless they have at least 250,000 customers, which means that some of the smaller utility firms do not offer the Warm Home Discount, so choose your supplier with care.

The following companies are all members of the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2025-2026, however you should always check directly with your energy supplier rather than assuming you are eligible.

• Boost Energy

• British Gas (including Scottish Gas)

• Co-op Energy (now part of Octopus Energy)

• E (gas and electricity)

• E.on Next

• Ecotricity

• EDF Energy

• Good Energy

• London Power

• Octopus Energy

• Outfox the Market

• Ovo Energy

• Rebel Energy

• Sainsbury's Energy

• Scottish Power

• So Energy

• Utilita

• Utility Warehouse

You can also find out more about the Warm Home Discount Scheme by calling 0800 107 8002, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, or by visiting the government’s website here.

Don't think you'll qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme? You might still be able to trim your bills by switching. Run an energy price comparison now. 

When is the Warm Home Discount paid?

The WHD is paid as a one-off £150 discount onto your energy supplier account between October and March each year. You can check your eligibility on the government website.

If you have not had a discount paid by January, check with the government and your supplier.

FAQs

Can I get the Warm Home Discount on PIP?

People who are claiming PIP are no longer immediately entitled to the Warm Home Discount, so must also be on one of the means tested benefits for ‘core group 2’ in England. These are:

• Housing Benefit

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income Support

• The ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit

• Universal Credit

Can I get the Warm Home Discount with a prepayment meter?

Yes. The Warm Home Discount Scheme applies no matter what type of meter you have, including prepayment meters. You’ll just need to be claiming means tested benefits in order to get the discount.

If you have a smart prepayment meter, then credit will be applied to your meter. If you have a card or key, you will receive as top up voucher, either in the post or online, which you can then exchange for credit in the Post Office or PayZone.