Warm Home Discount & more money-saving tips

Warm Home Discount and more

Here are some ideas about ways that you may be able to save money on keeping warm, if you have a disability, are elderly, and receive certain benefits, and/or have a low income.

Click to go straight to more on:
• Warm Home Discount Scheme
• Affordable Warmth Obligation
• Grants from your Local Council
• Top money saving tips

1) Warm Home Discount Scheme

This scheme provides £150 rebate on electricity bills for people who qualify.

You may be able to get the rebate on your gas bill instead, if your supplier provides you with both.

Two million low income households should be able to save money in this way each year.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme for winter 2026 to 2027 opens on 16th October 2023.
 

Check whether you are eligible:

To qualify for the Core Group, you or your partner must have an account with a participating electricity supplier, and one of you must claim one of the following:

• the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit
• a different qualifying benefit (and you have high energy costs)
• the qualifying benefits include the Savings Credit portion of Pension Credit, Universal Credit and Housing Benefit.

If you claim a qualifying benefit, the government will assess your energy costs based on the type, age and size of your property.

In deciding, the government will look at your circumstances on a specific date, known as the ‘qualifying date’. For 2026-27, this is 23 August 2026.

You can receive the discount even if you have a prepayment or pay-as-you-go meter.

 

These are the energy suppliers who are participating in the 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
Utility Warehouse

Note: If your supplier is no longer trading, the new supplier you have been allocated to may be part of the Warm Home Discount Scheme
 

Low income but not part of the core group?

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you may still qualify.

This is where it gets a bit more complicated!

The electricity suppliers all have different rules about which people they include in their Broader Group, as it is called, to receive the discount.

People on low incomes with a disability or a long-term illness, or those with children, are examples of groups who may well be included.

You should contact your electricity provider to find out whether you are included in their Broader Group.
 

When is Warm Home Discount paid?

The £150 discount should be applied to your electricity or gas account over the winter, and certainly before 31st March 2027.

People with a prepayment meter will get a voucher which can be redeemed at a post office or PayPoint.

Payments are made automatically to people who qualify.
 

What if you haven’t been notified?

You should receive a letter from the Government between November and December if you are eligible. You may need to phone a government helpline to confirm your eligibility – this will be explained in the letter, if so. The helpline is open from mid-November until the end of February.

If you think you should be eligible for a discount under the Core Groups, but you have not received a letter, contact the Warm Home Discount team.
Warm Home Discount helpline – 0800 107 8002
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

If you think you should be eligible for the discount under the Broader Group but have not received a letter, you should contact your energy supplier.

If you have been told you are eligible for a discount but have not received it by the end of March 2024, or for any other payment issues, contact your energy supplier.
 

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2) Affordable Warmth Obligation

This scheme replaces the Warm Front Scheme (WFS), and aims to provide help with repairing or replacing boilers, or installing cavity wall insulation and loft insulation for people who are eligible, living in poorly insulated or inadequately heated homes, whether as owner occupier or tenant of a private sector landlord.

Check whether you are eligible:

You can save money on insulation and improving energy efficiency if your household receives:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
• Pension Guarantee Credit – you will not be eligible if you only claim Pension Savings Credit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Disability Living Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits
• War Pensions Mobility Supplement
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Child Benefit

If you are claiming Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit, eligibility will depend on your income.

Your house is poorly insulated or inadequately heated – with an energy efficiency rating of D, E, F or G.

If you are in social housing or private rented accommodation, and your home has an energy efficiency rating of E, F or G, you may also qualify.

 

How to apply?

Contact the Energy Saving Advice Service to find out if you’re eligible for help. They’ll tell you how to apply if you’re eligible.

Energy Saving Advice Service
Telephone: 0300 123 1234
Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm

The cost of Affordable Warmth home improvements is met by the energy providers under the ECO (Energy Companies Obligation).
 

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3) Grants from your Local Council

If your income is low, you may be able to save money with a grant from the local authority for:

• improving your home, including insulation

• if you or a member of your household is disabled, to fit your home with equipment to make life easier

• getting small repair jobs done

You need to contact your local authority to find out how to apply.

Organisations such as Care & Repair, Age Concern or Mencap may be able to help with the paperwork.

If you apply for a grant, don’t start any work before the application is approved.

The council may send someone to inspect the premises – get their ID before you let them in.

Click here to read more about Disabled Facilities Grants
 

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4) Save Money: Tips to Help Avoid the Scary Fuel Bills

• Don’t set the thermostat that controls your heating higher than 20°C (68°F). Thermostats are often in silly places, like the entrance hall, so keep an eye on the actual temperature in your living room (keep a thermometer in there).

You may find that the temperature there is well over 20°C as the boiler is trying to heat your draughty hall up to the required temperature…

Experiment with reducing the temperature on the thermostat until you find the right balance, to keep the room you are actually using warm enough.

• Set your heating system to come on before you get up in the morning, and go off when you go to bed.

• Only turn on the radiator to warm your bedroom before you go to bed – an hour or so should do, depending on the weather outside. Warm your bed as well, with a hot water bottle OR an electric blanket (never both at the same time!).

• Keep your bedroom window closed at night – keeping the bedroom door open will give you sufficient ventilation.

• If you have an open coal fire keep it well filled up – about 3 to 4 inches (70-100mm), and use the air control to make it burn higher or lower.

• Have your chimney swept once a year, so that it burns efficiently and safely. For more tips, you can call the Solid Fuel Association for free on 0800 600 000.

• Save money: You can get help with winter home heating bills:

1. Winter Fuel Payment

2. Cold Weather Payment

Budget Schemes

For anyone who is worried about paying the gas or electricity bill, there is a free Home Heat Helpline which you can call yourself, or on behalf of a relative, friend or patient (external link will open in a new browser tab or window).

The number is 0800 33 66 99 and it is open from 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.

The minicom number is 0800 027 2122

The electricity and gas companies have payment schemes which enable people to spread payments more evenly over the year instead of having them peak in winter. Ask your supplier for details.

If you run into problems with paying your gas or electricity bills, let the supplier know quickly before the amount builds up. They’ll want to help find a solution, perhaps by spreading out repayments. They won’t disconnect all-pensioner households in the winter.

We have information about the cost of living support package here

Article ends – click to return to top or check out related resources below

Further reading and resources

Make sure you are on the priority services register if appropriate.

Local Energy Advice Partnership gives free advice on saving money and keeping warm

Track the impact of inflation

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