The Warm Home Discount is a government programme that provides a one-off discount to those that are at risk of fuel poverty. For 2022-2023, the Warm Home Discount is £150 which you receive as a one-off discount on your electricity bill. The scheme is designed to help those who are vulnerable or may need help covering their energy bills during the winter months, when energy bills tend to be the most expensive.
Am I eligible for the Warm Home Discount scheme?
Two core groups are eligible:
Core Group 1:
You are automatically eligible for the Warm Home Discount if on 21 August 2022 you were in receipt of the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. However, you also need to check that your supplier participates in the scheme (see a list of suppliers who offer it below).
Core Group 2:
This is for those who don’t fall into Core Group 1 but may still be able to get the Warm Home Discount due to low-income households, especially those with young children. In these cases, each supplier has its eligibility criteria and a limit on how many discounts it will pay out.
How can I apply for the Warm Home Discount?
There is no need to apply for the Warm Home Discount – your supplier will automatically apply the discount to your bill if you are eligible.
To find out whether you qualify, you can call the government Warm Home Discount phone line on 0800 731 0214 between 14 November 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Which energy suppliers offer the Warm Home Discount?
The following suppliers offer the Warm Home Discount:
- Affect Energy (Octopus Energy)
- Atlantic (SSE)
- Boost
- British Gas
- Bulb
- Co-op Energy (Octopus Energy)
- E Gas and Electricity
- Ecotricity — core group only
- EDF
- E.ON Next
- Green Energy — core group only
- Great North Energy — core group only
- London Power (Octopus Energy)
- M&S Energy (Octopus Energy)
- Octopus Energy
- OVO Energy
- Powershop
- Qwest Energy (Octopus Energy)
- Roar Power (Octopus Energy)
- Sainsbury’s Energy
- Scottish Hydro (SSE)
- ScottishPower
- Shell Energy (formerly First Utility)
- So Energy
- Southern Electric (SSE)
- SSE
- SWALEC (SSE)
- Utilita
- Utility Warehouse
If your energy supplier is not listed above but you’re in an eligible group, you can get the discount by switching to a supplier that offers the Warm Home Discount.
How do I receive it?
The discount is applied automatically to your energy bill between October and March. The government uses data to tell suppliers which customers to apply the discount to. You can ask for your supplier to apply the discount to your gas bill instead, if you pay for both fuels with them. You can also get the Warm Home Discount if you’re on a prepayment or pay as you go meter. Your supplier will decide how the discount is applied, but it’s often in the form of a voucher you can use to top up your meter.
