Warm Home Discount (WHD)

Eligibility

This scheme is open in England, Scotland and Wales, it is not open in Northern Ireland.

Check if you're eligible for the Warm Home Discount

Please note that whilst Ofgem administers the scheme, many queries are best directed to your energy supplier. We are not, for instance, responsible for distributing payments. If you have a query about when you will receive a payment or if you did not receive last year’s payment, please contact your energy supplier.  

The eligibility criteria are different in England and Wales compared to Scotland and your energy supplier must be participating in the scheme. You can find a list of participating energy suppliers below. 

England and Wales

£150 rebate for fuel-poor pensioners (core group 1)

This assists less well-off pensioners with an annual direct discount of £150 from their electricity or gas account. You are eligible for the discount if you receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, and your energy supplier is participating in the scheme. The Department for Work and Pensions works with participating suppliers to identify those who receive Pension Credit. Most eligible Core Group 1 customers are identified in this way and automatically receive this as an annual one-off discount on their electricity or gas bill, between October and March. For prepayment meter customers, see 'How is the discount delivered?’ below for further details of how you will receive the rebate.   

£150 rebate to fuel-poor customers (core group 2)

Participating suppliers provide discounts automatically to low-income households that the Government identifies as most likely to have high heating costs. The amount is paid as an annual one-off discount of £150 on your electricity or gas bill, between October and March. You may be eligible under Core Group 2 if you receive certain means-tested benefits or Tax Credits and your property has a high energy cost score based on its characteristics. For prepayment meter customers, see 'How is the discount delivered?’ below for further details of how you will receive the rebate.  

The qualifying means-tested benefits and tax credits are:

  • Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income Support
  • Universal Credit
  • Housing benefit
  • Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits
  • Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC)

Property data held by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is matched with the means-tested benefits and Tax Credit data, held by Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC, to identify those on low incomes most likely to be living in homes which are expensive to heat. Where property characteristics are missing, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will use alternative evidence and statistical methods to identify eligible households. Further information on this process (referred to as imputation methodology) can be found in the WHD Guidance for England and Wales.

Scotland

£150 rebate to fuel-poor customers (Scottish Core Group)

The Scottish Core Group assists less well-off pensioners, through a direct discount of £150 into their electricity or gas account. You are eligible for the discount if you receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, and your supplier participates in the scheme. The Department for Work and Pensions works with participating suppliers to identify those who receive Pension Credit. Most eligible Core Group customers are identified in this way and automatically receive their discount between October and March. For prepayment meter customers, see 'How is the discount delivered?’ below for further details of how you will receive the rebate.  

If you purchase your energy from a participating supplier and believe you were eligible for this discount which you have not received, you need to contact the Warm Home Discount helpline.

£150 rebate to fuel-poor customers (Scottish broader group)

The Broader Group assists certain low-income households, with an annual direct rebate of £150 to their electricity or gas account.

For prepayment meter customers, see 'How is the discount delivered?’ below for further details of how you will receive the rebate. You may be eligible for the rebate if you receive certain means-tested benefits or tax credits. The standard criteria are based on a variation of the Cold Weather Payments group and low-income working families in receipt of in-work benefits and with a child under 5 or a disabled child. The standard criteria for the Broader Group can be found in the guidance. However, your supplier may have additional eligibility criteria so you will need to check with them if you are eligible and for details on how to apply (some suppliers may publish details of how to apply on their website over the summer months). The number of discounts suppliers can give is limited, so it’s best to check with them as early as possible to see if you’re eligible.  

Industry Initiatives

Wider help for fuel-poor customers across Great Britain

Each participating supplier has a spending obligation towards Industry Initiatives. This allows them to help customers who are fuel poor or at risk of fuel poverty through a variety of activities and third parties.

Depending on the supplier’s programme and third-party provider, this can include benefit entitlement checks, debt assistance, energy advice, smart meter advice and energy efficiency measures.

You may be able to benefit under the Industry Initiative element of the scheme even if you don’t buy your energy from a participating supplier. To find out more contact any participating supplier about the Industry Initiatives they offer, note that you don’t have to be an existing customer. If you have any questions on how the Industry Initiative elements operate, you can contact Ofgem at whd@ofgem.gov.uk.