Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a support programme aimed at helping those who may struggle to pay their energy bills during the winter months. If eligible for the discount, you will receive a one-off payment of £150 towards your energy bill.
Am I eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme?
England & Wales
In England & Wales, the scheme is divided into Core Group 1 and Core Group 2.
If you or your partner receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well) you could qualify under Core Group 1.
If your household is identified as having high energy costs, and you receive certain means-tested benefits or Tax Credits, you could qualify under Core Group 2. The means-tested benefits and Tax Credits are:
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Universal Credit*
- Child Tax Credits**
- Working Tax Credits**
- Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC)***
*Households in receipt of Universal Credit must be below a monthly household income threshold of £1,561.
\*Households in receipt of these Tax Credits must be below an annual household income threshold of £18,723.*
\**If you are in receipt of both Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC) and the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you should be eligible for a rebate under Core Group 1. A household cannot receive a rebate under both Core Groups.*
Scotland
In Scotland, the scheme is divided into Core Group 1 and Broader Group.
If you or your partner receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well) you could qualify under Core Group 1.
If you don’t qualify this way, you may still be eligible through Broader Group if you or your partner meet certain criteria. Please see our eligibility criteria below. If you believe you or your partner match any of these criteria, you’ll need to apply for the payment.
Do I need to apply for the Warm Home Discount?
If you qualify through Core Group 1, Core Group 2 (England & Wales) or Core Group 1 (Scotland) you do not need to apply. you should receive a letter from the Department for Work & Pensions or the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero. This letter will either confirm that you qualify or ask you to provide further information about your eligibility.
To receive your payment through ScottishPower, you must have been receiving a qualifying benefit and have been a ScottishPower customer on the qualifying date of 13thAugust 2023.
If you believe that yourself or your partner meet the criteria to qualify through a core group but have not received a letter from the Government by January 2024, please contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme Helpline. Telephone: 0800 030 9322, Monday to Friday 8am-6pm. The helpline will be open from 16thOctober 2023. The deadline to claim a Warm Home Discount rebate is the 29thof February 2024. Please ensure you contact the helpline prior to this date.
Broader Group (Scotland)
If you believe you or your partner may be eligible for the payment through Broader Group (Scotland), you’ll have to submit an application. Please note, you must have a ScottishPower electricity account at an address in Scotland at the time of making the application, and at the time of receiving the payment.
Once our application window has closed, we’ll review your application and may need to carry out verification. Please bear with us while we process all the applications. There is a limit to the funding we have available, and we try to make as many payments to eligible customers as the funding allows.
Important Information for customers applying through Broader Group (Scotland)
Please note, when verifying eligibility for the Warm Home Discount Scheme, ScottishPower may:
· Share the information contained in your application with the Department for Work and Pensions to confirm your eligibility for the benefit.
· Alternatively, you may be contacted by letter by ScottishPower, or a company working on ScottishPower’s behalf (Charis Grants) and asked to provide evidence of the benefits you receive. If you don’t provide the evidence within the timescales requested, the payment will not be made.
How will I receive the payment?
The annual payment this year will be £150. This includes VAT, so the payment will show on your bill as a credit amount of £142.85 before VAT is applied. The payment will be added as credit to your electricity account. If you have a prepayment meter, you’ll receive a bar coded voucher which you can use to redeem your credit. And for our customers with smart prepayment meters, your payment will be made directly to your meter. If you’re eligible for the rebate, your payment will be made by 31st March 2024.
If you experience a change in circumstances
For applicants who qualify, the payment will be made by 31st March 2024. If any of the details submitted on your application change, including your account number, you must let us know as soon as possible as you may no longer be eligible for the discount.
If you are a customer living in Scotland and change energy supplier between the date of your application and the payment being made, you will no longer be eligible for the payment under our Warm Home Discount Scheme. You will need to apply through your new energy provider. Please note that eligibility criteria may differ between energy providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Warm Home Discount (WHD)?
When will I get my payment?
Why are there different schemes in England & Wales and in Scotland?
Can I get my Warm Home Discount payment put on to my gas account?
Eligibility Criteria – Broader Group (Scotland)
1. A person who receives Income Support and at least one of the following:
2. A person who receives income-related Employment and Support Allowance (IR ESA) which includes a support component and at least one of the following:
3. A person who receives IR ESA and who is a member of the work-related activity group and at least one of the following:
4. A person who is in receipt of income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and at least one of the following:
5. A person who is in receipt of Housing Benefit and at least one of the following:
6. A person who is in receipt of Universal Credit and is below the monthly household income threshold of £1,561 and at least one of the following:
7. A person who is in receipt of Child Tax Credit by virtue of an award which is based on an annual income threshold of £18,723 and at least one of the following:
To find out more information about the Warm Home Discount, please visit Ofgem Warm Home Discount scheme FAQs.
Last updated: 5 December 2023