WARM HOME DISCOUNT SCHEME

All the information you need to get assistance with your home energy bills.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

The winter months are especially challenging for many of us, with spikes in energy prices further worsening that struggle. For example, you may find yourself having to choose between staying warm and having enough to eat in a week.

Whether you’re an elderly person with underlying health conditions, you are raising a family with young children or you’re just trying your best to keep up with your expenses while on a low income, you might need help to pay heating bills. However, it’s not always obvious where to look to get this assistance.

This is where the warm home discount scheme can help to make life less stressful. But what is the warm home discount, exactly? And if you need help paying bills, how can you ensure you get money from this scheme? Here are all the key facts you need to know.

Am I Eligible For Warm Home Discount Scheme?

If you’re just learning about this scheme, you might be wondering “Can I get the Warm Home Discount? And who pays for this, anyway?”. The Warm Home Discount is a £140 reduction in your electricity bill over the winter. The Government arranges for this amount to go straight towards your bill rather than going to your bank account, so it’s a simple and straightforward process.

To be eligible, you need to meet one of the following two eligibility criteria, both of which require different application processes:

  • You’re in the “core group”: which means you get the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit.
  • You’re in the “broader group”: You have a low enough income for your specific energy supplier’s Warm Home Discount criteria.

If you have any questions about whether you might qualify, you can call 0800 731 0214.

What Happens To My Warm Home Discount If I Switch My Supplier?

What happens to your discount will depend on whether you were in the core group or the broader group, and whether you were eligible for that group on June 5th last year which was the qualifying date.

If You’re In The Core Group

If you got the discount in June 2020 and are eligible for the core group, your older supplier will have to pay you. To ensure this happens, contact them to ask for the details on how you’ll receive the rebate. If you switched to a participating supplier after June last year, you won’t be able to get the rebate as part of the core group in spite of your eligibility for the core group. However, you can approach your new energy supplier as a member of the Broader Group.

If You’re In The Broader Group

If you’re eligible to be part of the broader group with your old supplier: It’s wise to check that the new supplier you want to move with also takes part in the Warm Home Discount scheme and that their eligibility criteria don’t rule you out in any way. Ofgem’s Confidence Code requires that you be informed upfront on whether a supplier participates in the WHD scheme.

How Can I Claim Warm Home Discount?

If you currently get your energy from a company that participates in the WHD scheme and you meet the criteria for the core group, you should be mailed a letter to confirm the discount applies to you. This is an automatic process, and it doesn’t require you to receive money directly. Rarely, your formal letter may also ask you to call the WHD helpline to officially confirm your personal details.

In the event that you think you should be in the Core Group but you haven’t had a letter in the mail by December, ring the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 731 0214. The sooner you do this the more likely you are to get your claim processed in time to receive the discount.

Applying For Warm Home Discount

You only need to apply for the Warm Home Discount if you’re in the Broad Group. Membership of this group isn’t automatic, so you’ll need to talk to your supplier and arrange to get the discount. Different suppliers have subtly different rules about what you need to do to qualify, so you should always speak to someone working for your energy supplier to get a clear statement of the criteria.

It’s common for suppliers to welcome applications to join the Broader Group during the summer months. An early application increases your chances of ultimately getting the Warm Home Discount, as energy companies typically operate a “first come, first served” system.

What Providers Give Warm Home Discount?

The following suppliers were part of the scheme but are no longer trading:

  • Avro Energy
  • Bristol Energy
  • Green – ‘core group’ only
  • Igloo Energy – ‘core group’ only
  • People’s Energy
  • Pure Planet
  • Together Energy
  • Utility Point