Unlike a loan or a benefit you apply for and wait on, the Warm Home Discount scheme is a credit applied directly to your energy account by your supplier, and most people never have to lift a finger to get it. But the rules around who qualifies, when the money lands, and what happens if you switch suppliers can be confusing, especially since the wider Warm Home Discount scheme changed significantly for 2025/26 and again for 2026/27.
This guide breaks down how the scheme works, who meets Warm Home Discount eligibility rules for 2026/27, and how to apply for Warm Home Discount if you're one of the households who needs to.
How the Warm Home Discount works
The Warm Home Discount scheme isn't paid to you in cash. Instead, your electricity supplier credits £150 to your energy account, which reduces what you owe. If you pay by direct debit or standard credit, it simply lowers your balance. If you're on a prepayment meter, you'll usually be sent a top-up voucher to redeem at a Post Office, or the credit may be applied straight to a smart prepayment meter.
The scheme is funded by energy suppliers themselves; specifically, larger suppliers with more than a set number of domestic customers are legally obligated to participate and fund rebates for their qualifying customers. The government (through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) sets the eligibility rules, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) matches benefit records against supplier customer data, and Ofgem oversees supplier compliance.
Because eligibility is worked out largely through automatic data matching between DWP and energy suppliers, most households don't need to submit an application. If your details match, the discount simply appears on your account.
How much is the Warm Home Discount and when is it paid?
The discount is fixed at £150 for winter 2026/27, applied as a single, one-off credit rather than in instalments.
Payment timing:
Most households receive the credit between November 2026 and January 2027.
The absolute deadline for suppliers to apply the discount is 31 March 2027.
If you're a dual-fuel customer (gas and electricity with the same supplier), you may be able to have the discount applied to your gas bill instead.
Prepayment and pay-as-you-go customers typically receive a voucher, or in the case of smart prepayment meters, the credit may be sent straight to the meter along with a confirmation email or text.
Receiving the Warm Home Discount does not reduce or affect your entitlement to the Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment, as the three schemes are separate and can all be claimed at the same time if you're eligible.
Am I eligible for the Warm Home Discount?
Warm Home Discount eligibility depends on where you live in Great Britain, because England and Wales are run as a single scheme while Scotland operates differently. For winter 2026/27, the England and Wales scheme has been simplified into one Core Group, replacing the old two-tier "Core Group 1" and "Core Group 2" system used in previous years.
England and Wales: the Core Group
You should qualify automatically if, on the qualifying date of 23 August 2026, all of the following applied:
You (or your partner) were receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit or the relevant element of Pension Credit
You (or your partner, or a named legal representative) were named on the electricity bill for your property
Your electricity supplier is part of the Warm Home Discount scheme
Previously, some households in this group also had to pass a "high cost to heat" property test based on their home's size, age, and estimated energy efficiency. This property test has now been scrapped for 2026/27, meaning anyone on a qualifying benefit is eligible regardless of the type of property they live in. This single change is expected to bring roughly 2.7 million additional households into the scheme this year.
Qualifying benefits (England and Wales)
You may qualify if you or your partner receive any of the following on the qualifying date:
Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit element)
Pension Credit (Savings Credit element)
Universal Credit
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Housing Benefit
If you receive Guarantee Credit (Pension Credit), you're treated as an automatic priority case and should be contacted directly with no further checks needed on your side. If you qualify through one of the other benefits listed above, you're still assessed automatically via data matching, and you generally won't need to apply, but you may be asked to confirm a few details if your records don't match cleanly.
Scotland
Scotland runs its own version of the scheme with two groups:
Scotland Core Group: An expanded automatic group, aligned with the same qualifying benefits used for the Scottish Winter Heating Payment. If you're in this group, you don't need to apply; the government will get in touch.
Scotland Broader Group: For households on a low income or other qualifying benefits who don't fall into the Core Group. This route requires a direct application to your energy supplier, and places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying as early as possible in the application window matters.
Mobile Homes
There's a separate route for people living in mobile homes who pay their electricity through their site owner rather than a standard supplier. Eligibility is assessed by a separate administrator (Charis Grants), and applicants need to demonstrate they're on a qualifying benefit or meet income/fuel poverty criteria, as the usual automatic data-matching process doesn't apply to this group.
Key dates for winter 2026/27
1 April 2026: The scheme year begins (England and Wales)
23 August 2026: Qualifying date: Your circumstances on this date determine eligibility
Late October to December 2026: DWP issues letters confirming eligibility
October 2026: Warm Home Discount helpline reopens, and Scotland Broader Group applications open
31 January 2027: The target date by which most confirmation letters should have been sent
26 February 2027: Deadline to contact the helpline if your letter asks you to get in touch
31 March 2027: Final deadline for suppliers to apply the £150 discount
A few important points about the qualifying date:
Starting a new benefit claim after 23 August 2026 won't get you into this year's scheme — but it may count towards next year's.
If your circumstances change after the qualifying date (for example, you stop claiming a qualifying benefit, move house, or switch supplier), you keep your £150 for this scheme year.
Pension Credit claims can be backdated by up to three months, which can sometimes pull a claim back over the qualifying date, so it's worth checking with the Pension Service if you think you might have been entitled to Pension Credit around that time but hadn't claimed it yet
How to claim the Warm Home Discount
For the vast majority of eligible households, there's no need to apply, as most people will be credited automatically, as DWP matches your benefit records against your energy supplier's customer database. If you're identified as eligible, you'll receive a letter between late October 2026 and January 2027 to confirm this. Your supplier then automatically applies the £150 credit to your account, usually by the end of March 2027
If your letter asks you to get in touch because your records couldn't be automatically matched, for example, you'll need to contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme directly before 26 February 2027 to avoid missing out. Additionally, if you believe you're eligible but haven't received a letter by the end of January, it’s also advised to contact the WHP rather than waiting.
Beware of scams: the government and Ofgem will never contact you asking for your bank details in connection with the Warm Home Discount. If you receive a call, text, or email asking you to "confirm" bank details to release a payment, treat it as a scam and report it.
Scotland Broader Group applications
If you need to apply for Warm Home Discount via the Scotland Broader Group, the process is different from the automatic Core Group route, and you'll need to apply directly with your energy supplier during their open application window. Because funding is capped and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, it's worth applying as soon as the window opens.
Which suppliers take part in WHD?
Only obligated suppliers, generally those with a large enough customer base, are legally required to participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme. Most of the well-known household names take part, but not every supplier does, and some smaller or newer suppliers may sit outside the scheme entirely. Some suppliers also work with smaller "white label" providers under their obligation.
If you're unsure whether your supplier participates, you can see a list of participating suppliers here.
What if I switch energy suppliers?
Switching suppliers can affect your Warm Home Discount in a couple of ways:
If your current supplier doesn't participate in the scheme, switching to one that does could bring you into eligibility, but only compare this alongside the actual tariff on offer, since a £150 rebate isn't worth switching to a more expensive deal.
If you switch away from a participating supplier before the discount has been applied, check with both your old and new supplier about how the credit will be handled, as this can vary.
Switching after the qualifying date (23 August 2026) doesn't cancel your entitlement, as your eligibility is locked in on that date, regardless of which supplier you're with when the payment is actually made.
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Warm Home Discount vs other winter support schemes
The Warm Home Discount is one of several UK schemes designed to help with winter heating costs. They're separate, don't affect each other, and if you're eligible, they can usually be claimed together.
Scheme | Amount | How it's paid | Who it's for |
Warm Home Discount | £150, one-off | Credit to electricity account | Low-income households and Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) claimants |
Winter Fuel Payment | Set annual amount, varies by circumstances | Bank payment | Households with someone of State Pension age (means-tested since 2024/25 changes) |
Cold Weather Payment | £25 per 7-day cold spell | Bank payment | Certain benefit claimants, triggered automatically by sustained freezing temperatures in your area |
If you're not sure which of these you're entitled to, it's worth checking each individually, since eligibility rules and payment triggers differ significantly between them.
Glossary
Core Group: The main eligibility route in England and Wales, covering households on Pension Credit or a qualifying means-tested benefit, assessed automatically via data matching.
Broader Group: The Scotland-only application-based route for low-income households who don't qualify through the Scotland Core Group; capped and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Obligated supplier: An energy supplier legally required to participate in and fund the Warm Home Discount scheme, generally based on the size of its domestic customer base.
Guarantee Credit: The means-tested element of Pension Credit that tops up income for those over State Pension age; recipients are automatically prioritised for the Warm Home Discount.
Dual-fuel customer: A household that buys both its gas and electricity from the same supplier, sometimes allowing the Warm Home Discount to be applied to the gas account instead of electricity.
