Thanks to the Warm Home Discount scheme, many people across the UK are able to receive an annual discount on their energy bills.
What is the Warm Home Discount Scheme?
Set up in 2011, the Warm Home Discount scheme is an annual one-off discount of £140 on the energy bills of eligible customers across the UK.
The Warm Home Discount isn’t open to everyone however; in order to benefit you will need to buy your energy from a supplier that takes part in the scheme and also meet eligibility requirements.
In some cases, you might not have to purchase energy from one of these suppliers and still benefit. This is thanks to the industry initiative which targets wider groups of fuel poor customers.
Am I Eligible?
Eligible homeowners are split into 2 different groups.
Core Group
The Core Group applies to homeowners that receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. Those who are eligible will receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions and don’t normally need to apply for the scheme, the £140 will just be deducted automatically.
Broader Group
The Broader Group covers homeowners that are living in or considered at risk of fuel poverty. This normally applies to those receiving Universal Credit, a form of income support or have an annual household income of less than £16,000. You will also need to meet some criteria set by your energy supplier, which you’ll be able to find on their website.
When it comes to the Broader Group, receiving the rebate one year doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to receive it the next. There’s a limit to how many customers each energy supplier can offer the rebate to, so get your application in early to give you the best chance of getting the discount.
As well as fitting into one of these groups, you will need to make sure that your energy supplier takes part in the scheme.
Industry Initiatives
In addition to the Core and Broader groups are Industry Initiatives, which open up the scheme to a wider group of customers.
If you don’t get your energy from one of the suppliers that take part in the Warm Home Discount and don’t plan on switching suppliers, this is your best chance of receiving the £140 rebate. This is because the industry initiative tends to target wider groups of fuel poor customers.
What if I Have a Pre-pay or Pay-as-you-go Meter?
If you live in a home with a meter then you can still qualify for the government’s Warm Home Discount scheme. In some cases, your energy supplier might provide a voucher for you to top-up the meter with, but be sure to check this first to see if your eligible.
Which Suppliers Take Part in the Warm Home Discount?
If you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount then there are lots of energy suppliers who are signed up to the scheme, including all of the big six: British Gas, EDF, E.ON, nPower, Scottish Power, SSE.
You can find a full list of suppliers that take part in the Warm Home Discount at the end of this article. It’s worth noting that some suppliers might only accept applications from a certain eligibility group.
If your supplier provides your home with gas as well as electricity then you might be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead.
How is the Discount Paid?
Rather than the Warm Home Discount being paid directly to you, it’s automatically taken off your electricity bill between September and March.
Will I Still Receive the Discount if I Switch Suppliers?
If you’re planning to switch energy suppliers then you’ll need to check that the supplier you’re moving to also takes part in the scheme.
If you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount as part of the Broader Group and are about to receive a rebate, wait until it’s happened before switching.
Can I Still Receive Winter Fuel Payments?
If you’re eligible to receive Winter Fuel payments as well as the Warm Home Discount scheme you can benefit from both, there’s no need to choose between one or the other.
Warm Home Discount Energy Suppliers
Below are all of the energy suppliers that you can redeem your Warm Home Discount through:
| Angelic Energy | Atlantic | Boost |
| Bristol Energy | British Gas | Bulb Energy |
| Citizen Energy | Co-operative energy | Ebico |
| Economy Energy | EDF Energy | E.ON |
| First Utility | Flow Energy | GB Energy |
| Great North Energy | Green Star/Hudson | Liverpool Energy Community Company (LECCy) |
| Lumo | Manweb | M&S Energy |
| npower | Our Power | OVO |
| Powershop | Ram Energy | Robin Hood Energy |
| Sainsbury’s Energy | Scottish Gas | Scottish Hydro |
| ScottishPower | Southern Electric | Spark Energy |
| SSE | SWALEC | Utilita |
| Utility Warehouse | White Rose Energy | Your Energy Sussex |
Source: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/energy-suppliers
