Overview

• DESNZ and the DWP report fraudulent texts and emails asking for bank details and tell people not to click links or respond.
• Official letters confirming eligibility will be sent by post from mid-October through December, with a helpline for those who have not heard by January.
• The £150 discount for winter 2025/26 is credited directly to energy accounts by suppliers, so applications are not required in England and Wales.
• An additional 2.7 million households are included this year, taking total eligibility to more than six million after the removal of the high-cost-to-heat test.
• Eligibility in England and Wales generally requires the named bill payer to receive one of six means-tested benefits, with some different rules applying in Scotland.