Warm Home Discount: How to Get £150 Off Your Energy Bill
The short answer
- £150 off your electricity bill each winter, usually applied automatically by your supplier
- Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit on 23 August 2026 qualifies you in England and Wales
- Reopens in October 2026 for winter 2026 to 2027, and you or your partner must be named on the electricity bill
The Warm Home Discount gives eligible households a £150 rebate on their electricity bill each winter. It reopens in October 2026 for winter 2026 to 2027. In England and Wales you qualify if, on 23 August 2026, you or your partner got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit, and one of you was named on the electricity bill with a supplier in the scheme. Most people get it automatically. Last winter 5.52 million households received it through the core groups, about 2.3 million more than the year before, and the government expects around six million this winter. This guide explains who qualifies, how to check, and what to do if you do not receive it.
Who qualifies
In England and Wales, households on Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit on 23 August 2026, named on the electricity bill. Scotland uses different lists, and Northern Ireland is not in the scheme.
| Qualifying benefit | Additional conditions |
|---|---|
| Universal Credit | Getting it on 23 August 2026 |
| Housing Benefit | Getting it on 23 August 2026 |
| Income-related Employment and Support Allowance | Getting it on 23 August 2026 |
| Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit) | Getting it on 23 August 2026 |
Read the detail
The rules differ between England and Wales, and Scotland. The scheme does not run in Northern Ireland, where the Affordable Warmth Scheme is the main help.
England and Wales: the core group (automatic)
You are in the core group for winter 2026 to 2027 if all of these applied on 23 August 2026: your electricity supplier was part of the scheme, you or your partner got one of the benefits below, and your name or your partner's was on the electricity bill. You do not need to apply. Your supplier applies the £150 to your bill.
Qualifying benefits in England and Wales
Since 2025 to 2026 there has been no separate "high cost to heat" test: every billpayer household on one of these benefits is in line for the rebate.
The data behind this table
Source: GOV.UK Warm Home Discount, England and Wales and the DESNZ eligibility statement for 2026 to 2027. Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support and tax credits are not on the list; most people who had them have moved to Universal Credit, which is.
Scotland: core group and broader group
In Scotland the same 23 August 2026 date and bill rules apply, but the lists differ. You get the discount automatically if you or your partner get Pension Credit, get Universal Credit with an extra amount for a disability or health condition, or get a disability or pensioner premium with income-related ESA or a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. You are also paid automatically if you look after a child under 5 and are unemployed on Universal Credit, get income-related ESA, or have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. Anyone else on a low income applies to their electricity supplier as part of the broader group, and each supplier sets its own criteria.
Suppliers match most households automatically using government benefit data. If you were eligible for last winter and did not get the discount by 31 March 2026, GOV.UK says to contact your electricity supplier first.
You or your partner must be named on the electricity bill
Suppliers rely on their records from 23 August 2026. Either of you can be the one getting the benefit, and either of you can be the named billpayer. The most common reason for missing out is not being named on the bill at all, for example after moving house. The discount is usually applied to your electricity account, though a supplier that provides both your gas and electricity may apply it to gas instead.
How is the rebate paid?
As a £150 credit to your electricity account once each winter, not as cash. Prepayment customers are told by their supplier how they get it, for example as a voucher to top up the meter.
Read the detail
The £150 is credited directly to your electricity account. You do not receive cash. If you pay by direct debit, you will see the credit on a statement over the winter. If you use a prepayment meter, your supplier will tell you how you get it, for example as a voucher to top up the meter. You receive it once per winter, not monthly, and it does not affect a Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.
How does it compare with other schemes?
It is a £150 bill rebate, not a home improvement, and you can get it alongside other schemes. ECO4, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes: Local Grant pay for insulation or heating instead.
| Scheme | Value | What it covers | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Home Discount | £150 bill rebate | Direct credit to electricity bill | Means-tested benefit recipients |
| ECO4 | No fixed amount | Free or part funded insulation and heating, until 31 December 2026 | Benefit recipients, EPC D to G (E to G if renting) |
| GBIS | Closed | Closed to new applications on 31 March 2026 | No longer available |
| BUS | £7,500 grant (£9,000 for oil or LPG homes with no mains gas) | Heat pump installation | Property owners in England and Wales |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | No fixed amount | Insulation, solar and heat pumps through councils in England | Income under £36,000, a listed benefit, or an eligible postcode; EPC D to G |
| HUG2 | Closed | Closed in March 2025 | No longer available |
Read the detail
You can receive the Warm Home Discount and also qualify for ECO4, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme or the Warm Homes: Local Grant. They are not mutually exclusive.
The Warm Home Discount is a bill rebate, not a home improvement. If you want to permanently reduce your energy bills rather than receiving £150 once per year, look into insulation and heating upgrades through ECO4: homes the government measured used a median 12.0% less gas after cavity wall insulation, about £105 a year for a typical 3-bed semi. Use our grant eligibility checker to see everything you qualify for.
What if you are not eligible?
In England and Wales there is no route without a qualifying benefit, but other help does not need one. The Warm Homes: Local Grant has an income route under £36,000, and councils can refer households under £31,000 into ECO4.
Read the detail
In England and Wales, if you do not receive one of the qualifying benefits you cannot get the Warm Home Discount. In Scotland, ask your supplier about its broader group. Other help does not need a benefit: in England the Warm Homes: Local Grant has an income route for households under £36,000 a year, and councils can refer households on under £31,000 into ECO4 until 31 December 2026. Cheap jobs such as draught-proofing and topping up loft insulation also help, and if you have a heat pump or electric heating it is worth checking for a better tariff.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the Warm Home Discount?
In England and Wales, if you or your partner got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit on 23 August 2026 and one of you was named on the electricity bill, you should get it automatically for winter 2026 to 2027. In Scotland some groups are paid automatically and others apply to their supplier. The scheme reopens in October 2026.
When is the Warm Home Discount paid?
Over the winter, as a one-off £150 credit to your electricity account, not a monthly payment. Prepayment customers are told by their supplier how they will get it, for example as a voucher. If you were eligible and had not received it by the end of March, contact your supplier.
Can I get the Warm Home Discount and ECO4?
Yes. They are separate schemes. The Warm Home Discount is a bill rebate. ECO4 provides free or part funded home improvements until 31 December 2026. You can receive both.
Data sources
Scheme rules come from GOV.UK and the DESNZ eligibility statement for 2026 to 2027. Household numbers come from the Warm Home Discount statistics, and insulation savings from DESNZ NEED.
Show every source
Scheme rules from GOV.UK and the DESNZ eligibility statement, 2026 to 2027. Household numbers from the Warm Home Discount statistics, 2025 to 2026 and DESNZ, 30 July 2026. Measured insulation savings from DESNZ NEED Impact of Measures 2026 at the Ofgem price cap, October to December 2026.