What is the Warm Home Discount? How much may I receive? Who qualifies for this benefit? The Warm Home Discount can help you pay for electricity bills for your housing. In this Your Benefits article, you will be walked through everything that you need to know about this financial aid.
Which companies offer warm home discount
These suppliers are part of the Warm Home Discount scheme. They will likely allow you to get for this benefit. This is regardless if you are in the core or broader group. Here is the list of participating suppliers for the winter 2022 to 2023 period:
- Affect Energy (more commonly known as Octopus Energy);
- Atlantic (more commonly known as SSE);
- Boost;
- British Gas;
- British Gas Evolve (previously known as British Gas X);
- Bulb Energy;
- Co-op energy (more commonly known as Octopus Energy);
- E (Gas and Electricity);
- E.ON;
- E.ON Next;
- Ebico;
- Ecotricity (only if you are in the core group);
- EDF Energy;
- ESB Energy (only if you are in the core group);
- GEUK (Green Energy UK) (only if you’re eligible for the core group);
- London Power;
- M&S Energy;
- Nabuh Energy;
- Octopus Energy;
- Outfox the Market (only if you’re eligible for the core group);
- OVO;
- Rebel Energy (only if you’re eligible for the core group);
- Sainsbury’s Energy;
- Scottish Gas (more commonly known as British Gas);
- Scottish Hydro (more commonly known as SSE);
- ScottishPower;
- Shell Energy Retail;
- So Energy;
- Southern Electric (more commonly known as SSE);
- SSE;
- Swalec (more commonly known as SSE);
- Utilita;
- Utility Warehouse.
Some suppliers were part of the scheme, but are not trading anymore. What this means is they are not part of the scheme, even if they were previously. This may be the case for your energy supplier. However, you could still be able to receive the discount.
More specifically, a new supplier should be designated for you. This will be done by Ofgem. If you are part of the ‘broader group’ and do not have a new supplier, contact your current one, or Ofgem.
You may be part of the core group, by receiving Guarantee Credit through your Pension Credit. If this is the case, you should receive a letter by mid-December from the Department for Work and Pensions. It will have information on how to proceed.
What is the Warm Home Discount?
The Warm Home Discount is a scheme that allows you to get a discount on your electricity bill. There are a number of energy suppliers that may qualify you for this scheme. In fact, your supplier needs to be a part of the scheme in order for you to receive this benefit.
For the period of winter 2022 to 2023, you may be able to earn a £150 discount. You are not paid this amount directly. It will not be put in your bank account. Instead, it is applied directly to your electricity bill. This could be from October to March. It is done in the form of a one-off discount. Lastly, this benefit will start again in November 2022.
| Warm Home Discount 2022 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Group | Discount |
| core group | £150 off your bill (if your supplier is part of the scheme) |
| broader group | £150 off your bill (if your supplier is part of the scheme and assigns discounts to this group) |
Who is eligible for warm home discount?
You may be eligible for Warm Home Discount in one of two ways. You can either be part of the core group or part of the broader group.
There are different requirements for belonging to the core and broader group. How you claim this discount also depends on what group you belong to. If you live in a park or mobile home, the way that you claim this discount is different, but you may qualify. This is the same if you are using a pay-as-you-go or pre-pay electricity meter.
Warm home discount core group
You likely qualify for the core group if you earn Guarantee Credit with your Pension Credit. Guarantee Credit is the name given for earning extra amounts of Pension Credit.
Some people may earn different amounts of Pension Credit for different reasons. For example, they may have a severe disability, or care for another adult.
They may be responsible for a child or young person, pay for housing, or have savings or a second pension. This might even be your situation. If this is the case, you are eligible to very likely to earn extra Pension Credit. This is Guarantee Credit.
However, you may still be eligible if none of these apply to you.
Warm home discount broader group
You may not qualify for the core group of Warm Home Discount. Instead, you may be eligible for the broader group. You should be able to apply for the discount in this group.
You must be on a low income to qualify for the broader group. On top of this, your energy supplier may have certain criteria for you to be eligible. You need to meet those requirements as well.
What are the additional requirements?
You may receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. If this is the case, you likely qualify for the core group. However, there are more specific requirements. Precisely, you will qualify for the discount if all of the following was true for you on the date of 4 July 2021:
- Either your partner or yourself receive Guarantee Credit within your Pension Credit (this must be true even if you receive Savings Credit);
- Your energy supplier was one of the suppliers that can qualify you for the discount (find the list below);
- The bill contains either your name or your partner’s name.
All of the elements above may apply to your situation. If this is the case, you are in the core group. If you are in the broader group, you also need to be earning at least one or a couple qualifying means-tested benefits. The following benefits qualify as means-tested benefits:
- Housing Benefit;
- Council Tax Support;
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA);
- Income Support;
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA);
- Pension Credit;
- Cold Weather Payment;
- Sure Start Maternity Grant;
- Child Tax Credit;
- Working Tax Credit;
- Universal Credit.
How to claim warm home discount
The way that you can claim Warm Home Discount depends on the group that you belong to. Your application process and eligibility is not exactly the same for both. In fact, typically, you will be automatically able to earn this benefit. In fact, this is because the government will determine who is eligible.
If you are eligible, the discount should be added to your electricity bill by your electricity supplier by 31 March 2023.
Core group application process
If you are part of the core group, you should have received a letter, any time between October and December 2022. This is if your supplier is part of the scheme. The letter should have informed you how to receive the discount for those who are eligible.
You may not have received a letter. If this is the case, you should call or send a letter to the Warm Home Discount helpline. Do so only if you believe you are qualified for this group specifically on 0800 678 1602. Do not call or send a letter if you know you do not qualify.
Broader group application process
What is the claiming process if I am part of the broader group? Not everyone in this group can necessarily apply for the benefit. It depends on the energy provider. Additionally, they chose those who are able to claim Warm Home Discount.
If you qualify, your discount should come into effect by 31 March 2023 and be added to your bill by your supplier.
