You need to be named on your electricity bill in order to get the Warm Home Discount automatically – here is what you need to know
Millions of households are being urged to check if they are named on their energy bill in order to receive a £150 discount this winter.
The Warm Home Discount gives you £150 off your electricity bill if you are in receipt of an eligible means-tested benefit.
If the benefit is in your name, then you need to be named on your electricity bill in order to get the Warm Home Discount automatically. Energy suppliers will check customer records from August 24.
Someone might not be named on their electricity bill if they have recently moved house and changed supplier. In England and Wales, the benefits that entitle you to the Warm Home Discount are:
- Housing Benefit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
It is estimated that over six million people will be eligible for the Warm Home Discount this winter.
It comes after the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which is charge of funding the Warm Home Discount, confirmed it will remove the high-cost-to-heat threshold for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales.
This is a score that determined whether a property is considered to have high energy costs, as this used to be a qualifying criteria for getting the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales.
Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “We took decisive action earlier this year to expand the Warm Home Discount, giving more working families certainty and peace of mind before winter.
“I now want to make sure as many eligible households as possible get £150 off their energy bill, putting more money in their pockets as part of our Plan for Change.
“If you know someone who might be eligible – please start spreading the word to family and friends, encouraging them to check they are named on their energy bill.”
The Warm Home Discount is normally paid in October or November. You get it as a discount straight off your energy bill, or as credit if you’re a prepayment customer.
The Warm Home Discount is paid automatically in England and Wales. If you live in Scotland, the payment is automatic if you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, but for the other benefits listed above, you’ll need to apply through your energy supplier. There is no equivalent scheme in Northern Ireland.
It comes after energy bills fell by 7% from July. The average household paying by direct debit has seen their yearly bill reduced from £1,849 to £1,720.
If you have a prepayment meter, the average yearly bill has gone down from £1,803 to £1,672. The yearly charge for someone who pays on receipt of bill has reduced from £1,969 to £1,855.