Warm Home Discount 2026: £150 Letters, Who Qualifies and Switching

Last updated: Thursday 12 November 2026

The Warm Home Discount for winter 2026 to 2027 is a one-off £150 off your electricity bill. 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, your name (or your partner’s) was on the electricity bill, and your supplier takes part. As of 12 November 2026, GOV.UK says letters go out between late October 2026 and early January 2027, and the £150 is applied to your bill by 31 March 2027. Most people don’t need to apply. If your letter asks for more information, call the helpline by 26 February 2027.

For comparison, Ofgem’s typical dual-fuel bill for 1 October to 31 December 2026 is £1,723 a year by Direct Debit, and forecasts for January’s cap range from £1,999 to £2,215. The £150 helps, but it is not a reason to stay on a tariff that costs more than one you could switch to. If you might qualify, check how switching could affect this year’s discount before you move.

Sources: GOV.UK Warm Home Discount, Ofgem Warm Home Discount eligibility and Ofgem unit rates and standing charges.

What the Warm Home Discount is

The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme that gives eligible households a one-off £150 reduction on their electricity bill each scheme year. It is not paid into your bank account: your electricity supplier credits your account, or for some prepay customers provides a voucher or meter credit. For winter 2026 to 2027, GOV.UK says letters go out between late October 2026 and early January 2027.

When will I get my £150 Warm Home Discount letter?

If you live in England or Wales and qualify through the Core Group, you don’t need to apply. GOV.UK sets out the timetable for this winter:

The Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline is 0800 030 9322 (Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 229 4325), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. In Scotland, if you applied directly to your energy supplier through the Broader Group, you won’t get a government letter; contact your supplier instead.

Who qualifies in England and Wales?

GOV.UK lists three conditions, and all of them must have applied on 23 August 2026:

• your energy supplier is part of the scheme;

• you or your partner got one of the qualifying means-tested benefits: Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Pension Credit;

• your name, or your partner’s, is on the electricity bill.

Scotland uses a different Core Group, based on Pension Credit and certain disability or child-related benefit premiums, plus a Broader Group that you apply to through your supplier. The scheme isn’t available in Northern Ireland, which has its own support.

It is separate from the Cold Weather Payment and the Winter Fuel Payment, and GOV.UK says it does not affect either of them. Northern Ireland has different support; this guide covers England, Scotland and Wales.

The discount vs your bill

£150 is about one month of a typical dual-fuel bill (£1,723 ÷ 12 is about £143). It helps, but it does not cover a winter’s bills. A switch that saves more than £150 over the first year is still worth making if you would also get the discount.

Who gets it automatically and who applies

The rules differ between England and Wales and Scotland. In England and Wales, most eligible households in the Core Group get the discount automatically based on qualifying benefits on the qualifying date, and receive a government letter. In Scotland, there is also a Broader Group that you apply for through your supplier, using criteria the supplier sets and Ofgem approves (Ofgem).

Your supplier must also take part in the scheme. GOV.UK’s list of participating suppliers for 2026 to 2027 includes 100Green, Boost, British Gas (and Scottish Gas), E (Gas and Electricity), Ecotricity, EDF, EnergyCoop (through Octopus Energy), E.ON Next, Fuse Energy, Good Energy, Home Energy, London Power, Octopus Energy, Outfox Energy, OVO, Sainsbury’s Energy, ScottishPower, So Energy, Square 1 Energy, TruEnergy, Tulo Energy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse. If your supplier stops trading, Ofgem appoints a new one, and you may still be eligible.

Ofgem warns that if you were not with a participating supplier on the qualifying date and you switch after that date, you will not get that year’s Core Group discount from your new supplier. If you are waiting for a Broader Group discount in Scotland, Ofgem suggests waiting until you have received it before switching.

How switching and the £150 fit together

• Eligible and staying with your supplier: look out for the government letter and the credit, which is paid by 31 March 2027. It is still worth comparing deals: a fix that costs less than your variable tariff can save more than the discount.

• Eligible and thinking of switching: check that the new supplier takes part and whether switching could affect this year’s discount because of the qualifying date.

• Not eligible: compare deals as normal, using your own kWh against the capped rates.

How the £150 arrives

GOV.UK says eligible customers usually see the discount on their electricity bill. Direct Debit accounts are usually credited. Prepay customers may get a voucher or a credit on the meter; your supplier explains how. If you get gas and electricity from the same supplier, you may be able to ask for the credit on your gas account instead.

Park home residents use a separate application route with limited funding; follow the park home instructions on GOV.UK.

The £150 and January’s price cap

Ofgem will announce the January to March 2027 price cap by 25 November 2026. Forecasts published by 12 November range from £1,999 a year (Cornwall Insight) to £2,215 (British Gas) for a typical home, against £1,723 now. If January’s cap lands at about £2,182, the uSwitch average of supplier forecasts, a typical home would pay about £459 a year more at the new rates, roughly £115 over January to March. So a £150 credit arriving this winter would cover about one quarter’s rise for a typical home, not the whole winter’s bills. Our January 2027 price cap forecast guide lists each forecast with its date.

Important conditions

• £150 is a one-off credit for the scheme year, not a monthly discount.

• Eligibility depends on qualifying benefits, whose name is on the bill, where you live and whether your supplier takes part on the qualifying date.

• £1,723 is Ofgem’s typical figure, not your bill.

• Business energy is not covered by the scheme.

Steps before you switch

1. Check whether you expect to qualify through the Core Group or, in Scotland, the Broader Group.

2. Check whether your current supplier takes part and note the qualifying date.

3. Find 12 months of kWh, or your best yearly estimate.

4. Compare deals for your postcode and usage, ranked by yearly cost, and check the standing charges and unit rates.

5. Switch only if the first-year total is lower after any exit fees, and once you understand how switching could affect the discount.

Examples (illustrations, not quotes)

Pensioner in the Core Group on a variable tariff: the £150 arrives as a credit over winter. If a fix saves £200 in the first year after any exit fee and the new supplier takes part, switching can still make sense, but check the qualifying date first.

Universal Credit household in Scotland applying to the Broader Group: apply when your supplier opens applications, and wait until you have received the discount before switching, as Ofgem suggests.

High-use dual-fuel home, not eligible: focus on standing charges and unit rates. The discount does not apply.

If a comparison claims savings “after the Warm Home Discount”, check whether it actually knows your eligibility; most do not. Treat the £150 as something you add yourself after comparing tariffs.

FAQ

How much is the Warm Home Discount for 2026 to 2027?

It is a one-off £150 off your electricity bill for eligible households in the 2026 to 2027 scheme year, according to GOV.UK and Ofgem. The money isn’t paid to you: your supplier applies it to your bill by 31 March 2027.

When will I get the Warm Home Discount this winter?

GOV.UK says letters go out between late October 2026 and early January 2027. If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier applies the £150 to your bill by 31 March 2027.

Will switching stop my Warm Home Discount?

It can for that scheme year if you were not with a participating supplier on the qualifying date. Check Ofgem’s guidance and the eligibility rules for where you live before you switch.

Do I need to apply in England and Wales?

Most eligible Core Group households get the discount automatically and receive a government letter. Follow the letter if it asks you to confirm anything. Scotland also has a Broader Group you apply for through your supplier.

Can prepay customers get the Warm Home Discount?

Yes. It may arrive as a voucher or meter credit; ask your supplier how it will be paid.

Does the Warm Home Discount affect the Winter Fuel Payment?

No. GOV.UK says the discount does not affect the Cold Weather Payment or the Winter Fuel Payment.

I haven’t had a Warm Home Discount letter. What should I do?

Letters go out between late October 2026 and early January 2027, so there is still time. If you think you qualify and haven’t had one by early January 2027, contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme on 0800 030 9322 before 26 February 2027. In Scotland, if you applied through your supplier, contact the supplier instead.

Is the £1,723 price cap figure my bill?

No. It is Ofgem’s typical dual-fuel Direct Debit bill for October to December 2026. Your bill depends on your usage, region and payment method.