The Warm Home Discount is one of those schemes many people qualify for without realising. It’s a one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill, and for most people in England and Wales it’s applied automatically. Nobody sends you cash and there’s no form to fill in.
The 2026 to 2027 scheme reopened in October. Here’s who qualifies, when the money shows up and what to do if it doesn’t.
Who qualifies in England and Wales
You’re likely to get it if all of these were true on the qualifying date, August 23, 2026:
- you or your partner were getting one of these benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit)
- Housing Benefit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- your electricity supplier is part of the scheme. Most large suppliers are
- your name, or your partner’s, is on the electricity bill
Prepayment meter customers can qualify too.
If you meet these rules, you don’t need to apply. Government and DWP data is matched with energy suppliers, and the discount is added to your bill.
There are a few exceptions. People living permanently in care homes generally aren’t covered. Most park home residents who pay the site owner for electricity can’t get the main discount, but there’s a separate park homes scheme run by Charis Grants with limited funding.
Who qualifies in Scotland
Scotland runs the scheme a bit differently:
- Core group: If you get Pension Credit or Universal Credit, you should get the discount automatically and receive a letter.
- Broader group: Other low-income households may qualify, but you have to apply through your energy supplier. Places are limited, so apply as early as you can.
The discount doesn’t affect Winter Heating Payment or other help.
When you’ll get it
- Letters go out to eligible households between October 2026 and early January 2027.
- The discount is applied to your electricity bill by March 31, 2027 at the latest.
- Prepayment meter? You’ll usually get a voucher or top-up rather than a bill credit.
- If you get gas and electricity from the same supplier, you may be able to put it on your gas bill instead.
What if you get a letter asking you to call?
Sometimes the data match doesn’t work, for example if you’ve recently switched supplier. In that case you’ll get a letter asking you to call the Warm Home Discount helpline. Turn2us says to call by the end of February 2027, so don’t leave the letter in a drawer.
What if you hear nothing?
- Check your bills from now until March. The credit can arrive any time in that window.
- Contact your energy supplier if you think you qualify and nothing has shown up.
- If your supplier can’t help by March 31, 2027, you can write to the Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 970, Preston, PR2 0FX.
Does it affect other help?
No. It’s separate from the Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payments, so you can get all three if you qualify.
One last thing: DWP and suppliers won’t text you a link asking for card details to “claim” your £150. Treat any message like that as a scam.
Sources: GOV.UK, Warm Home Discount eligibility statement 2026 to 2027, GOV.UK, Warm Home Discount (England and Wales), Turn2us and Uswitch.
Maria is a dedicated news writer covering the latest UK updates on DWP, PIP, State Pension Triple Lock, Child Benefit, Universal Credit, and driving licence regulations. She focuses on explaining government announcements, benefit eligibility, payment changes, pension increases, and new regulations in a clear and easy-to-understand way.