Warm Home Discount 2026/27: Do I Get the £150?
Who qualifies, whether you need to apply, and what to do if it doesn't arrive.
← Back to Blog · Money & Tax · Published 10 October 2026 · Directed and published by Matt Thompson, founder of UK Work Rights
This is free rights guidance, not legal advice. Statutory figures here are checked against a primary source and dated — see our Editorial & Verification Policy. For advice specific to your situation, see our About page or contact Citizens Advice.
The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2026 to 2027. Most people who qualify get it without doing anything. This post covers who qualifies, how it's paid, and what to do if it doesn't turn up.
It covers England, Wales and Scotland. The scheme doesn't run in Northern Ireland, which has a different discount (see the end of this post).
In short
💷 £150 off your electricity bill
📅 Qualifying date: 23 August 2026
⚡ Usually automatic in England and Wales
📍 Not available in Northern Ireland
Who qualifies in England and Wales
You qualify if all three of these applied on 23 August 2026:
✅ Your electricity supplier is part of the scheme.
✅ You or your partner got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit).
✅ Your name or your partner's was on the electricity bill.
Since winter 2025 to 2026 there has been no separate test of how expensive your home is to heat. If all three points apply to you, you qualify.
If the electricity bill isn't in your name or your partner's, you don't qualify.
If you live in a park home, you apply a different way. GOV.UK explains how.
Is my supplier taking part?
Not every supplier takes part. If yours doesn't, you can't get the discount through them. These suppliers are in the scheme for winter 2026 to 2027 (GOV.UK list, checked 10 October 2026):
100Green, Boost, British Gas (including Scottish Gas), E (Gas and Electricity), Ecotricity, EDF, E.ON Next, Fuse Energy, Good Energy, Home Energy, London Power, Octopus Energy (including EnergyCoop), Outfox Energy, OVO, Sainsbury's Energy, ScottishPower, So Energy, Square 1 Energy, TruEnergy, Tulo Energy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse.
Do I need to apply?
In England and Wales you usually don't. Government benefit records are matched with energy suppliers' customer records, and your supplier takes the discount off for you.
If the records can't confirm you, you'll get a letter asking you to call the Warm Home Discount helpline to confirm your details. The number is on the letter.
How you get the £150
You don't get cash. Your electricity supplier takes £150 off your bill.
🔌 Prepay or pay-as-you-go meter: you can still qualify. Your supplier may add it as credit to your meter or send you a voucher to top up with.
🔥 Gas from the same supplier: you may be able to have it taken off your gas bill instead.
✉️ Your supplier must tell you, on your bill or in writing, when it has given you the discount.
Suppliers normally have to give the discount by 31 March 2027.
It doesn't affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.
If your supplier goes out of business
You may still be eligible. Ofgem will appoint a new supplier for you. Ask that supplier about the discount.
If it hasn't arrived
If you've been told you qualify (by letter, by the helpline, or by your supplier) and the discount still hasn't appeared by the end of March, contact your electricity supplier first. If they can't help, GOV.UK's Warm Home Discount page gives an address to write to.
Living in Scotland
The qualifying date is also 23 August 2026. Your supplier must be part of the scheme, you or your partner must get a qualifying means-tested benefit, and your name or your partner's must be on the electricity bill.
Some people get the discount automatically. This is called the "core group". It includes everyone on Pension Credit, plus some people on Universal Credit, income-related ESA or a Support for Mortgage Interest loan, for example because of a disability or health condition, or because they're responsible for a child under 5 who lives with them.
If you don't get it automatically, you can apply to your electricity supplier. This is called the "broader group". Suppliers can set extra rules on who qualifies, so ask yours.
Northern Ireland
The Warm Home Discount isn't available in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland has the Household Electricity Discount Scheme instead. This year's discount is £63, given from 6 October 2026. Electricity suppliers give it to their domestic customers automatically. You don't need to apply, and it isn't means-tested.
On a prepay or keypad meter, you get £63 in credit when you top up. To get all £63 in one go, keep that top-up to £112 or less. A bigger top-up means the discount is split, and the rest comes with later top-ups (the maximum vend limit is £175).
If you haven't received it, contact your electricity supplier first. For questions about the scheme, call the NI Energy Advice Service on 0800 111 4455.
Not sure where you stand? Our free Benefits Checker shows which benefits you may be able to claim, in plain English. No login, no charge.
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