Warm Home Discount

Overview

Warm Home Discount is a scheme in Great Britain under which participating electricity suppliers apply a fixed rebate to eligible customers' winter electricity bills. It is not paid as cash and is normally credited to the account between October and March each winter. There are two broad eligibility routes. The "Core Group" route covers pensioner households where at least one person is receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit on the qualifying date — these customers should be identified automatically and contacted by their supplier. The second route (sometimes called the "Broader Group" or, in England and Wales, the "low income and high energy costs" group) covers working-age low-income households whose home is assessed as having high heating costs, with eligibility determined automatically by DWP data matching in England and Wales, and through a supplier application process in Scotland. The scheme's availability depends on the customer's electricity supplier participating — most large suppliers do, but some smaller suppliers do not. Individual eligibility and payment are determined by the DWP, the participating supplier, and Scottish administration arrangements depending on the route. This page references criteria from the primary GOV.UK source; the authoritative source for any individual rebate remains your electricity supplier and the relevant scheme operator.

Applies in England, Scotland, Wales. Administered by Energy Suppliers. This page is general information; contact Energy Suppliers for your individual circumstances.

Rates

Eligibility criteria include

• RESIDENCE
  Eligibility criteria differ depending on whether the claimant lives in England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland (scheme not available in Northern Ireland). ^[GOV.UK]
• OTHER
  In England and Wales, you qualify if you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or are on a low income. ^[GOV.UK]
• OTHER
  In Scotland, you qualify if you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or are on a low income in Scotland and meet your energy supplier's criteria for the scheme. ^[GOV.UK]
• RESIDENCE
  The Warm Home Discount scheme is not available in Northern Ireland. ^[GOV.UK]
• HOUSING STATUS
  Claimants using a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter can still qualify for the discount. ^[GOV.UK]
• HOUSING STATUS
  Park (mobile) home residents apply via a different process. ^[GOV.UK]

Sources