Millions of households across the UK are set to receive a welcome £150 reduction on their electricity bills this winter, as the annual Warm Home Discount scheme reopens. The vital support is paid directly to your energy supplier to help with costs, rather than as a cash sum into your bank account.
Which Energy Suppliers Are Taking Part?
The government-backed scheme involves a significant number of energy companies. If your supplier is on the following list, you may be eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount. The participating firms are:
- 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK or GEUK)
- Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy
- Boost
- British Gas
- Bulb Energy – see Octopus Energy
- Co-op Energy - see Octopus Energy
- E (Gas and Electricity)
- Ecotricity
- E.ON Next
- EDF
- Fuse Energy
- Good Energy
- Home Energy
- London Power
- Octopus Energy
- Outfox Energy
- OVO
- Sainsbury’s Energy
- Scottish Gas – see British Gas
- ScottishPower
- Shell Energy Retail
- So Energy
- Square 1 Energy Ltd
- Tomato Energy
- TruEnergy
- Tulo Energy
- Utilita
- Utility Warehouse
How to Qualify for the Payment
To receive the Warm Home Discount, you must have been claiming one of the specified benefits on the qualifying date. For this winter, the crucial date was August 24, 2025. The qualifying benefits include:
- Guaranteed credit element of Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Universal Credit
- The "Savings Credit" part of Pension Credit
The process for receiving the discount depends on where you live. In England and Wales, if you meet the criteria, the £150 payment should be applied automatically. The situation is different in Scotland, where only those receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit get it automatically. All other eligible Scottish claimants must apply manually by contacting their energy supplier. It is important to note that the Warm Home Discount scheme does not operate in Northern Ireland.
Energy Bills and the Price Cap Context
This financial support arrives as households face a slight increase in the Ofgem energy price cap this January. The cap will rise from £1,755 to £1,758 for a typical dual fuel household paying by direct debit, and will remain in place until March 31, 2026.
It is crucial to understand that the Ofgem price cap is not a limit on your total bill. Instead, it caps the price per unit of gas and electricity you use, as well as the daily standing charges for being connected to the network. Your final bill is still determined by your actual consumption. Ofgem calculates the typical annual figure based on average usage of 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas.
This cap applies to customers on a standard variable rate (SVR) tariff, offering protection to those not locked into a fixed-term deal. The Warm Home Discount provides essential, targeted relief against this backdrop of ongoing high energy costs.
