Overview
- Energy suppliers will use customer records dated Sunday, 24 August to determine automatic eligibility for the expanded Warm Home Discount, which provides a one‑off £150 reduction on electricity bills.
- The Warm Home Discount now covers more than six million households on means‑tested benefits, with letters confirming status expected between October and January and bill credits applied from October to March.
- Eligible households must ensure the qualifying person is named on the electricity account, including prepayment meter users and anyone who has recently moved or changed supplier; a helpline is available if no letter arrives by January 2026.
- Winter Fuel Payments of £200, or £300 for those aged 80 and over, will be issued to around nine million pensioners, with notification letters due in October or November and payments expected in November and December.
- Pensioners in Scotland receive support through separate arrangements, and for the Warm Home Discount only some Pension Credit recipients are matched automatically while others must apply to their supplier from October.