Warm Home Discount 2024-25

What is the Warm Home Discount scheme?

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off discount of £150 applied directly to the energy bills of those eligible. The scheme for the winter of 2024-2025 opened on 14 October 2024.

Eligible customers shouldn't need to apply for the discount themselves because the government uses data to tell suppliers which customers to apply the discount to. You'll receive a letter confirming your eligibility by early January 2025, and the discount should be applied to your bill by 31 March 2025. If you pay for both fuels from the same supplier, you can ask your supplier to apply the discount to your gas bill instead.

You can also get the Warm Home Discount if you're on a prepayment or pay as you go meter. Your supplier will decide how the discount is applied, but it's often in the form of a voucher you can use to top up your meter.

Am I eligible for the Warm Home Discount scheme?

The Warm Home Discount, like the Social Tariff scheme it replaced, is designed to help those who are vulnerable or may need help covering their energy bills during the winter months, when energy bills tend to be the most expensive.

So who gets the Warm Home Discount?

Core Group 1

You are automatically eligible for the Warm Home Discount if on 11 August 2024 you were in receipt of the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well). This group was formerly referred to as the 'core group' of those eligible.

Aside from being eligible, you also have to check that your supplier participates in the scheme (small suppliers especially may not offer it) - we've listed these suppliers below. You must also check that your name (or your partner’s) appear on the electricity bill.

Core Group 2

Known as the "broader group" in Scotland, this group is comprised of those who don’t fall into Core Group 1 but may still be able to get the Warm Home Discount. This is because some suppliers also offer the discount to a ‘broader group’ of customers, such as low income households, especially those with young children.

In these cases, each supplier has its own eligibility criteria and a limit on how many discounts it will pay out. The standard requirements are the same as for Core Group 1, but if you don't get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you or your partner would need to receive at least one of Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, the ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit or Universal Credit.

You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain threshold and you get either Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.

Your home must also meet new ‘high energy cost’ rules. This is where data around floor area, property age and property type is used by the government to identify households that are likely to have high energy costs.

How can I apply for the Warm Home Discount?

Core Group 1 and 2

There is no need to apply for the Warm Home Discount anymore - your supplier will automatically apply the discount to your bill if you are eligible.

You will receive a letter between October 2024 and early January 2025 if you’re eligible, or if you need to provide more information. If you're eligible, you don't need to do anything, but if you need to provide more information, follow the letter's instructions.

If you want to find out whether you qualify, you can call the government Warm Home Discount phone line on 0800 030 9322.

If you don't get the letter by January 2025 but you think you're eligible, you can call the number above to check. You must do so by 28 February 2025.

You can also write to:

Warm Home Discount Scheme

PO Box 14127

Selkirk

TD7 9AH

Which energy suppliers offer the Warm Home Discount?

Previously, any supplier with more than 250,000 customers had to offer the Warm Home Discount scheme to the core eligible group. As of 2020, this was extended to suppliers with more than 150,000 customers. Some smaller suppliers offer the Warm Home Discount to their customers voluntarily.

The following suppliers offer the Warm Home Discount in the 2024-25 season:

• Affect Energy (now part of Octopus Energy)
• Boost Energy
• British Gas (including Scottish Gas)
• Co-op Energy (now part of Octopus Energy)
• E (gas and electricity)
• Ecotricity
• EDF Energy
• E.ON Next 
• Good Energy
• Home Energy
• London Power
• Octopus Energy
• Outfox the Market
• OVO Energy
• Rebel Energy
• Sainsbury's Energy
• ScottishPower
• Shell Energy Retail
• So Energy 
• Tomato Energy
• Tru Energy
• Utilita
• Utility Warehouse
• 100Green (previously Green Energy UK).

Please note that some providers require re-application for the Warm Home Discount if you switch energy supplier.

If your energy supplier is not listed above but you’re in an eligible group, you can get the discount by switching to a supplier that offers the Warm Home Discount. If you don’t want to switch, ask your supplier whether they offer extra support through Industry Initiatives instead.

What happens to my Warm Home Discount if I switch suppliers?

Although switching your energy supplier is usually a simple and effective way of reducing your bills, you should check your supplier's rules regarding the Warm Home Discount and switching.

If you have already received the discount, then you could be fine to switch suppliers. But if you're still waiting for it, then there could be complications in switching supplier, and you could risk not receiving your discount.

If you think you might not be eligible for the Warm Home Discount but you need to cut your bills, do a quick energy comparison online to see how much you could save on your energy supply.

Energy Industry Initiatives

As well as the direct Warm Home Discount of £150, some suppliers offer a type of indirect Warm Home Discount scheme known as Industry Initiatives.

These initiatives provide customers with the services of a third party to help reduce the cost of your energy. This can include advice about energy saving and help with reducing energy debts. Industry Initiatives can be taken up even if your energy supplier does not offer the Warm Home Discount scheme.

What energy discount schemes am I eligible for?