Energy Bill Relief: £150 Discount Through Warm Home Discount - Understanding Its Details and Eligibility Criteria
The Warm Home Discount scheme, a government initiative designed to help certain households keep their heating on during winter, is set to return for the 2025/26 season. Here's what you need to know about the eligibility criteria and key points for this year.
To be eligible for the Warm Home Discount, you or your partner must:
- Be named on the electricity bill
- Receive one of the qualifying means-tested benefits: Universal Credit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit (both Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit elements).
The qualifying date for eligibility is Sunday, 24 August 2025—you must be named on the electricity bill and receiving one of these benefits on that date to automatically receive the discount.
If you have a prepayment (pay-as-you-go) meter, you can still qualify if you meet the above criteria and are named on the bill.
If you miss the qualifying date or are not automatically identified, you can apply later after receiving a confirmation letter between October 2025 and early January 2026.
The scheme covers over six million households, and the discount is a one-off £150 reduction on your electricity bill for the winter period.
It's important to note that the energy supplier must participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme for you to be eligible through them. You can check whether your supplier is participating on gov.uk.
In Scotland, while households receiving Pension Credit and named on their electricity bill get the discount automatically, other means-tested benefit recipients need to apply through their supplier.
If you think you should have received the discount but did not, contact your energy supplier first, and if they cannot help, write to the Warm Home Discount Scheme through the details provided on gov.uk.
Additionally, from October, pensioners with an annual income under £35,000 will receive the Winter Fuel Allowance up to £300 cash payment. Eligible households can receive both the Warm Home Discount and the Winter Fuel Allowance, as they are separate government schemes.
Households can get the discount if they are on the Ofgem energy price cap or if they switched to a fixed energy tariff. However, households that have recently moved home or switched their energy supplier may not be named on their energy bills yet and could miss out.
The date the credit will be given this winter has not yet been announced.
[1] Source: gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme [2] Source: gov.scot/publications/warm-home-discount-scheme-2025-26/ [3] Source: gov.uk/government/publications/warm-home-discount-scheme-2025-to-2026/warm-home-discount-scheme-2025-to-2026 [4] Source: gov.uk/warm-home-discount-scheme-2025-to-2026 [5] Source: gov.uk/government/publications/warm-home-discount-scheme-2025-to-2026-eligibility-and-application-process/warm-home-discount-scheme-2025-to-2026-eligibility-and-application-process
- To receive updates on the Warm Home Discount scheme, consider subscribing to a personal finance newsletter for insightful information about energy costs and industry news.
- If you're interested in managing your personal finances more effectively, learning about the Warm Home Discount scheme could be a valuable resource for minimizing utility costs during the winter season.
- Both the Warm Home Discount scheme and the Winter Fuel Allowance are government initiatives aimed at providing financial assistance to eligible households, offering potential savings on energy bills for those who qualify in the 2025/26 season.
