Warm Home Discount 2026-27: Who Gets £150

The Warm Home Discount for 2026-27 at a Glance

The scheme has been running for 15 years, and everything that matters this winter fits in 1 table. These are the dates and rules on GOV.UK as read on October 29, 2026.

A few rules apply everywhere. The discount isn't paid to you as cash; your supplier takes it off your bill. GOV.UK says it won't affect your Cold Weather Payment (opens in a new tab) or Winter Fuel Payment (opens in a new tab). If you use a prepayment meter you can still qualify, and your supplier will tell you how you'll get it, for example as a voucher to top up your meter. If you live in a park home, GOV.UK points you to a separate Park Homes Warm Home Discount route.

Is it ending? No. Ofgem says the scheme will run until 31 March 2031, and the government's January 2026 response confirmed it'll continue for five more winters, to 2030/31. The £150 amount is set for 2026/27 and, in the government's words, "will be kept under review" after that.

Who Qualifies in England and Wales

There are 3 rules, and all must have been true on 23 August 2026, according to GOV.UK:

1. Your electricity supplier is part of the scheme. GOV.UK lists more than 20, including British Gas, E.ON Next, EDF, Octopus Energy, OVO, ScottishPower, So Energy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse. Check the full supplier list on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab). If your supplier went bust, Ofgem appoints a new one, and you should ask the new supplier.
2. You or your partner got a qualifying means-tested benefit: Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit.
3. Your name, or your partner's, is on the electricity bill. If the named person is someone legally allowed to act for you, Citizens Advice says you still qualify.

That's it. Since winter 2025/26 there's no extra test about how expensive your home is to heat, and no separate list for pensioners versus working-age households in practice.

The name-on-the-bill trap. The government's July 2026 reminder said suppliers rely on customer records as of 23 August, and that people who've recently moved house may not be named on their bill. Prepayment customers who top up with a key or card also need the account registered in their name. If your partner's name is on the bill, that's fine. If the bill is in a landlord's or former partner's name, you'll usually miss out for this winter.

Who won't get it:

• Households where nobody gets one of the 4 qualifying benefits on the qualifying date, including people on Child Benefit, PIP or Carer's Allowance alone (they aren't on the GOV.UK list).
• People whose bills are included in rent and paid by a landlord, unless the account is in their name.
• Anyone whose supplier on 23 August 2026 wasn't in the scheme. Citizens Advice says switching to a scheme supplier afterwards doesn't fix this.

The 2025 Expansion: Grantsights Analysis of 5.52 Million Rebates

The scheme changed sharply last winter, with a 71% jump in households paid, and that's why so many more people are getting letters. In June 2025 the government confirmed it would remove the "high-cost-to-heat" threshold that had applied to working-age benefit claimants in England and Wales, so every billpayer on a qualifying means-tested benefit became eligible from winter 2025/26.

The official estimates and the actual count differ, and both are public:

• The January 2026 government response estimated around 6 million households across Great Britain would get the rebate in 2025/26, 2.7 million more than the year before.
• The Warm Home Discount statistics for 2025 to 2026 (opens in a new tab), published later in June 2026, counted 5.52 million households receiving automatic "Core Group" rebates, worth £827.6 million, an increase of about 2.3 million households (71%). That count excludes Scotland's application-based Broader Group, around 186,000 households in 2024/25.

The statistics are the newer, measured figure. The government's October 22, 2026 press release uses it too, saying "nearly 2.3 million additional families" got the rebate last winter, including around 1 million with children.

Grantsights analysis of the statistics' Table 12 shows who the new money reached:

Source: DESNZ, Warm Home Discount statistics 2025 to 2026, Table 12 (Great Britain, Core Groups; excludes Scotland's Broader Group). "Other or not known" combines income-based JSA, Income Support, tax credits and unknown cases.

Universal Credit households more than doubled, which fits the removal of the heating-cost test. Pension Credit households barely moved, because pensioners on Guarantee Credit already qualified automatically. Of all 2025/26 rebates, 96% were paid through automatic data matching and about 224,000 households got theirs after calling the helpline.

Where the Discount Goes: Grantsights Analysis by Region and Council

The share of households getting the rebate varies more than 3 times across council areas in England and Wales: outside the very small City of London and Isles of Scilly, it runs from 9.2% in Wokingham to 32.5% in Knowsley. Grantsights analysis of the statistics' Tables 2 and 3 compares 2025/26 with the year before.

Source: DESNZ, Warm Home Discount statistics 2025 to 2026, Table 2. Scotland's figure excludes its Broader Group, where suppliers make the awards on application, so Scotland's true rate is higher than shown.

London's count more than doubled, from 388,639 to 806,522, the biggest jump of any region. The council areas with the highest share of households getting the rebate in 2025/26 were Knowsley (32.5%), Sandwell (32.5%), Hartlepool (32.3%), Barking and Dagenham (31.9%), Blackburn with Darwen (31.2%) and Kingston upon Hull (31.2%). Birmingham had the largest number, 138,445 households (29.9%).

What this means for you. If you live in one of these areas and someone at home gets Universal Credit, your household is far from unusual in qualifying. The more common problem isn't eligibility, it's the name on the bill.

Limits of this data. It counts rebates paid, not households that were eligible and missed out. Scottish council figures look very low because Broader Group awards aren't included. The 2026/27 picture won't be published until mid-2027.

Scotland's Different Rules

Scotland has 2 routes: an automatic Core Group, and a Broader Group that you apply for through your supplier. GOV.UK sets out the 2026/27 rules on its Scotland page (opens in a new tab).

Automatic (Core Group). You'll get the discount without applying if, on 23 August 2026, your supplier was in the scheme, your name or your partner's was on the bill, and you or your partner:

• got Pension Credit
• got an extra amount of Universal Credit because you or your child has a disability or health condition
• got a disability or pensioner premium with income-related ESA
• got a disability or pensioner premium and have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan

You're also automatic if you or your partner look after a child under 5 who normally lives with you and you're unemployed and get Universal Credit, get income-related ESA, or have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

Apply to your supplier (Broader Group). If you don't fit those groups, contact your electricity supplier as early as possible. GOV.UK says suppliers may have extra criteria, the number of discounts they can give is limited, and you should check even if you got it last year. The January 2026 government response says the Broader Group is targeted at people on Pension Age Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment and other means-tested benefits. You'll need to stay with that supplier until the discount is paid.

What changed this year. DESNZ's July 2026 press release said around 250,000 Scottish households would get the rebate automatically for the first time, after the Scottish Government aligned the Core Group with the benefits used for its Winter Heating Payment. The common mistake for Scottish readers is waiting for a letter that won't come: if you're in the Broader Group, you won't get a letter from the scheme. Contact your supplier.

The Letter, the Helpline and the Dates That Matter

Letters go out over roughly 10 weeks, and there are 4 dates to know for winter 2026 to 2027, all from GOV.UK:

1. 23 August 2026: the qualifying date. Your benefits, your supplier and the name on the bill on this day decide everything.
2. Late October 2026 to early January 2027: letters arrive. Most say you'll get the discount automatically and don't need to do anything. Some say you might be eligible and need to give more information.
3. 26 February 2027: the last day to call the helpline, either because your letter asked you to, or because you didn't get a letter by early January and think you qualify.
4. 31 March 2027: the date by which suppliers must apply the discount.

The official helpline: Warm Home Discount Scheme, 0800 030 9322, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Relay UK users can call 18001 then 0800 229 4325. The postal address is Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 970, Preston PR2 0FX. These details come from the GOV.UK "If you do not get a letter" page; check them there rather than trusting a number in an email or text.

If you were eligible but switched supplier after 23 August 2026, Citizens Advice says to contact the supplier you were with on that date and ask when they'll pay; they should send a cheque for £150.

What GOV.UK Doesn't Tell You About the Warm Home Discount

The GOV.UK guide is accurate but short. Here's what the statistics and consultation papers add, and where people trip up.

"Automatic" depends on one database match. 96% of 2025/26 rebates were paid automatically, which also means about 224,000 households only got theirs by calling the helpline. If you think you qualify and nothing arrives by early January, don't assume you were refused. Call before 26 February 2027.

The bill name matters more than the benefit. Every qualifying claimant whose name isn't on the bill misses out, and it can't be fixed after 23 August for this winter. Put the account in your name (or your partner's) now so you're matched next winter.

£150 hasn't kept up with bills. Consultation responses called for a higher rebate, and the government decided to keep it at £150 for 2026/27 and keep it "under review". The honest answer is that it's worth it, since it costs nothing to get, but it won't cover a winter of heating. Pair it with the help below.

There's a quieter second strand. The scheme also pays for "Industry Initiatives": energy suppliers fund debt help and energy advice, often through charities, for households that don't get the core rebate. Ask your supplier what it runs. If you're a charity offering energy debt advice, our guide to grants for small charities covers other funders for that work.

Scotland's numbers undercount. Scotland looks like it gets almost nothing in the official statistics (3.7% of households), but that's because supplier-run Broader Group awards aren't in the household-level data. A case in point: Glasgow City shows 16,899 Core Group rebates in 2025/26, just 5.7% of households, against 32.5% in Knowsley. Don't let that put you off applying.

Warm Home Discount Scams: How to Spot a Fake

Because the discount is automatic (96% of rebates last winter were paid without anyone applying), any message asking you to "apply" or "claim" your £150 by text, email or phone call is a red flag. The official warnings are specific:

• Use your usual contact route. DESNZ's October 22, 2026 press release told recipients to use only their usual method of contacting their energy supplier, not to follow suspicious links, and not to enter financial details if asked by email, text or phone.
• Don't share personal or bank details. Citizens Advice (opens in a new tab) says scammers pretend to be from energy companies or government departments such as DWP, for example with texts about a "heating allowance" or Winter Fuel Payment, to get personal information. Don't use contact details or links they send.
• The genuine helpline is 0800 030 9322. It's printed on GOV.UK. If a letter, text or caller gives a different number, check it against GOV.UK before ringing.
• The VAT cut is automatic too. Citizens Advice says VAT on household electricity is cut to zero from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 with no application, and that an email or text asking you to apply is likely a scam.

If you think you've been targeted, Citizens Advice's scam checker page (opens in a new tab) explains what to do next.

Other Winter Help to Check

The Warm Home Discount is 1 of several kinds of winter help, and they stack, including a VAT cut on electricity that lasts 6 months. These come from GOV.UK and Citizens Advice as read on October 29, 2026:

• Winter Fuel Payment: £100 to £300 for people of State Pension age, usually paid in November or December 2026. Citizens Advice says if your income is over £35,000 it's taken back through tax, and anyone who needs to claim must do so by 31 March 2027.
• Cold Weather Payment: separate from the Warm Home Discount and not affected by it; see GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).
• Fuel vouchers: if you can't afford to top up a prepayment meter, Citizens Advice says your local council might be able to help you get a fuel voucher.
• Home upgrades: if you're on benefits and your home is hard to heat, the supplier-funded ECO4 scheme runs until 31 December 2026, but new jobs are getting scarce. Our ECO4 scheme guide explains who still qualifies and how to check an offer.
• Adaptations: if a disabled person at home needs changes such as a stairlift or level-access shower, see our disabled facilities grant guide.

If you volunteer with a group running a warm space or advice sessions this winter, our community grants UK guide lists funders for that kind of local work. And if you're reading from the Republic of Ireland, the Warm Home Discount doesn't apply; our SEAI grants guide covers Irish home energy grants.

Sources Checked

All sources were read or downloaded on October 29, 2026:

• GOV.UK, Warm Home Discount Scheme (opens in a new tab): overview (opens in a new tab), if you live in England or Wales (opens in a new tab), if you live in Scotland (opens in a new tab), energy suppliers (opens in a new tab) and if you do not get a letter (opens in a new tab) (page updated October 19, 2026)
• Ofgem, Warm Home Discount (WHD) (opens in a new tab)
• DESNZ, Households to receive £150 Warm Home Discount confirmation letter (opens in a new tab) (October 22, 2026) and Millions reminded to get £150 off energy bills this winter (opens in a new tab) (July 31, 2026)
• DESNZ, Expanding the Warm Home Discount Scheme, 2025 to 2026 (opens in a new tab) (outcome June 2025) and Continuing the Warm Home Discount Scheme (opens in a new tab) (government response January 2026)
• DESNZ, Warm Home Discount statistics, 2025 to 2026 (opens in a new tab), data tables 1, 2, 3, 12 and 16 (June 18, 2026)
• Citizens Advice, Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills (opens in a new tab) and Check if something might be a scam (opens in a new tab)
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Affordable Warmth scheme (opens in a new tab)