Warm Home Discount 2025/26 — one-off credit on your electricity bill
What is the Warm Home Discount?
The Warm Home Discount scheme is a government energy support programme that provides a £150 one-off discount on your electricity bill each winter. Unlike the Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment, this discount is applied directly to your electricity account rather than paid to you in cash.
The scheme runs from October to March each year (2025/26 scheme: October 2025 to March 2026). It is funded by energy suppliers as a regulatory obligation — the cost is ultimately spread across all energy customers.
Key fact: The Warm Home Discount applies to your electricity bill only, not gas. Even if you have a dual-fuel account with one energy company, the discount is only credited to the electricity portion.
Core Group vs Broader Group
The Warm Home Discount has two groups with different eligibility rules and processes:
Automatic — No Claim Needed
Core Group
You qualify automatically if you receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. DWP shares your data with your energy supplier, who applies the discount directly. You should receive a letter from your supplier confirming the payment.
Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) recipients
Some other low-income pensioners (data-matched)
Applied automatically — no application needed
May Need to Register
Broader Group
Other low-income households with high energy costs may qualify. Eligibility varies by supplier and is based on data matching. You may need to register your interest with your energy supplier.
Low income (not on Pension Credit)
High energy costs relative to income
Must contact your energy supplier
Places are limited — apply early
Broader Group — Act Early: Places in the broader group are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis by many suppliers. Contact your energy supplier as early as possible in October/November 2025 to register your interest. Do not wait until spring.
Eligibility in Detail
Core Group — Automatic Eligibility
You are in the core group if you receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. If you receive Pension Credit, you should be automatically considered for the Warm Home Discount — you do not need to apply.
The process works like this: DWP shares data with Ofgem, which identifies eligible customers and matches them with their energy suppliers. Your supplier then applies the £150 credit to your electricity account.
Broader Group — Qualifying Criteria
For the broader group, eligibility is based on a combination of low household income and high energy costs (based on your property's characteristics and energy use). You may qualify if you receive:
Universal Credit
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income Support
Housing Benefit
Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit (below income thresholds)
Pension Credit Savings Credit (if not already in core group)
Eligibility in the broader group also takes into account your property's energy efficiency and whether you have certain health conditions that increase your heating needs.
Which Suppliers Participate?
Not all energy suppliers are required to participate. Suppliers with fewer than 150,000 domestic customers are generally exempt. Most of the major suppliers — including British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy, OVO, Scottish Power, and Utilita — do participate. Check the current list of participating suppliers on gov.uk before contacting your supplier.
How the Payment is Made
Meter Type
How Discount Applied
When
Standard credit meter
Credit applied directly to your electricity account
Usually October–March 2025/26
Prepayment meter (traditional key/card)
Voucher issued that you top up at a PayPoint/Post Office
Usually October–March 2025/26
Smart prepayment meter
Credit applied directly to the meter remotely
Usually October–March 2025/26
If you receive a voucher for a prepayment meter, you must redeem it before the expiry date shown on the voucher. Unredeemed vouchers cannot be replaced after the scheme closes.
Payment timeline: Core group payments are usually made between October and January. Broader group payments may come later. If you believe you qualify and have not received your payment by February 2026, contact your energy supplier directly.
How to Check and Claim
Check your benefits: Are you receiving Pension Credit Guarantee Credit? If yes, you should be in the core group and receive the discount automatically. No action needed.
Broader group — contact your supplier: If you think you may qualify through the broader group, contact your energy supplier from October 2025 to register your interest. Have your National Insurance number and benefits information ready.
Check your bill: Once the discount is applied, it will appear as a credit on your electricity bill. Watch out for a confirmation letter from your supplier.
Haven't received it? If you believe you qualify (especially core group) and have not received the discount by January 2026, contact your energy supplier's customer service team with your National Insurance number.
Energy Help in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland — Warmer Homes Scotland
Scotland has the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, which focuses on home energy efficiency improvements — such as loft insulation, wall insulation, and heating system upgrades — for households in fuel poverty. This is different from the £150 rebate and is administered by Home Energy Scotland.
Call Home Energy Scotland: 0808 808 2282 (free) for advice on Scottish energy grants.
Core group recipients in Scotland who have a UK-registered energy supplier still receive the UK Warm Home Discount £150 credit as well.
Northern Ireland — Affordable Warmth Scheme
Northern Ireland has a separate Affordable Warmth Scheme for households in or at risk of fuel poverty, focusing on energy efficiency improvements. The UK Warm Home Discount does not apply in Northern Ireland. Contact the Housing Executive (NIHE) for information: 03448 920 900.
Other Energy Help Available
The Warm Home Discount is just one of several sources of energy support available to households in England and Wales. You may be eligible for some or all of the following:
Cold Weather Payment — £25 for each 7-day period of cold weather (0°C or below), November to March, paid automatically if you receive qualifying benefits
Winter Fuel Payment — £200 or £300 annual payment for pensioners receiving Pension Credit or qualifying benefits (from winter 2024/25)
ECO4 Scheme — free home insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, and heating upgrades for low-income or fuel-poor households, funded by energy suppliers
Great British Insulation Scheme — single insulation measures for homes with EPC rating of D or below
Household Support Fund — local council emergency grants for energy and food costs
Energy Company Hardship Funds — most major suppliers have a fund for customers in financial difficulty — contact your supplier
Priority Services Register — free register for customers with additional needs, including older people, those with disabilities, and those with long-term health conditions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who automatically gets the Warm Home Discount?
People in the core group — primarily those receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit — automatically receive the £150 discount without needing to apply. DWP shares eligibility data with Ofgem, which passes it to energy suppliers. Your supplier then applies the credit directly to your electricity account. You should receive a letter confirming this, usually between October and January.
How much is the Warm Home Discount in 2025/26?
The Warm Home Discount for 2025/26 is £150. This is applied as a one-off credit to your electricity bill — not your gas bill. The scheme covers the period October 2025 to March 2026. If you have a prepayment meter, you may receive a voucher instead of a direct account credit. The amount has been £150 since 2022/23 and is subject to government review each year.
What is the difference between core group and broader group?
The core group (mainly Pension Credit Guarantee Credit recipients) receives the discount automatically via government data-sharing — no application is needed. The broader group covers other low-income households with high energy costs. Broader group eligibility is assessed by suppliers using data matching, and you may need to contact your supplier to register interest. Broader group places are limited, so act early in October 2025.
Does the Warm Home Discount come off my gas or electricity bill?
The £150 Warm Home Discount applies specifically to your electricity account — not gas. If you have a combined dual-fuel account with one supplier, the credit still only reduces your electricity charge. It cannot be split between gas and electricity. This is a statutory requirement of the Warm Home Discount scheme regulations.
What if my energy supplier doesn't offer the scheme?
Smaller energy suppliers with fewer than 150,000 domestic customers are not required to participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme. If your supplier is not obligated, you will not receive the discount through them. You might consider switching to an obligated supplier before the scheme opens in October — check the official gov.uk list of participating suppliers. Switching is generally straightforward and free, and the £150 saving would likely outweigh any switching hassle.
Is there a Warm Home Discount in Scotland?
Scotland participates in the UK Warm Home Discount for core group recipients with UK-registered energy suppliers. Scotland also has Warmer Homes Scotland, a separate scheme providing home energy efficiency improvements (insulation, heating upgrades) administered by Home Energy Scotland. Call 0808 808 2282 (free) for Scottish energy improvement support. Note: the £150 electricity rebate and the efficiency improvements are different programmes.
Can I receive the Warm Home Discount alongside other energy payments?
Yes — the Warm Home Discount is entirely separate from the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment. You can receive all three if you meet the eligibility criteria for each. For example, a Pension Credit Guarantee Credit recipient who is over 66 and living in a qualifying cold-weather area could potentially receive: £150 Warm Home Discount + £200/£300 Winter Fuel Payment + Cold Weather Payments (£25 per qualifying week) in the same winter.
MB
Mustafa Bilgic
Financial Content Writer | Energy Benefits & Fuel Poverty Specialist
Updated: 20 February 2026 | Published: 1 January 2025