Warm Home Discount 2026 to 2027: Who's Eligible, How to Apply, and What's Changing

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill to help eligible customers with winter energy costs. The 2026 to 2027 scheme is open now. Energy suppliers apply the discount between October 2026 and 31 March 2027. In England and Wales, most people who got certain benefits on 23 August 2026 get it automatically. In Scotland, some people get it automatically and others apply to their energy supplier.

What Is the Warm Home Discount?

The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme that takes £150 off eligible customers' electricity bill each winter. It's paid through energy suppliers, so you won't get it as cash. Your supplier adds it to your energy account. If you have a prepayment meter, you'll usually get it as credit for your meter instead.

It's separate from the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment. Getting the Warm Home Discount won't affect either of those payments.

Who Is Eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme?

It depends on where you live and the benefits you get. For 2026/27, you may be eligible if all of these were true on 23 August 2026, the qualifying date:

• your electricity supplier was part of the scheme
• you or your partner got a qualifying benefit
• your name, or your partner's, was on the electricity bill

England and Wales: Core Group

For 2026/27, there's one Core Group in England and Wales.

You're in the Core Group if you or your partner were on one of these benefits on 23 August 2026:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit, either the Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit part
• Housing Benefit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

You don't need to fill in an application form. The government checks its benefits records against energy suppliers' records to find homes that qualify. It expects around 96% of eligible homes to get the discount this way.

Scotland: Core Group and Broader Group

Scotland has its own rules, set by the Scottish Government. There are two ways to qualify.

Core group. You'll get the discount automatically. This group is bigger for 2026/27, so more people in Scotland will get it without applying. You're in the core group if you or your partner:

• get Pension Credit
• get an extra amount of Universal Credit because you or your child has a disability or health condition
• get a disability premium or pensioner premium with income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• get a disability premium or pensioner premium and have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan

You're also in the core group if you look after a child under 5 who lives with you, and you:

• get Universal Credit and aren't working
• get income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan

Scotland Broader Group: How to Apply With So Energy

If you live in Scotland and you're not in the core group, you could still get £150 off your electricity bill this winter if you’re eligible. You'll need to apply, and applications with So Energy are open now.

Who can apply

You can apply if you're a So Energy customer in Scotland and you or your partner get one of these benefits:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income Support

Before you apply, read our full eligibility rules.

Not sure if you qualify? It's free to apply, and we'll check your application for you.

How to apply

1. Log in to your online account.
2. Select the Warm Home Discount button.
3. Fill in your application and send it to us.

We'll review your application and email you once we've checked it. We might need more information from you, so please keep an eye on your emails. You can also see how your application is going in your online account at any time.

If your application is approved, we'll add £150 to your energy account by 31 March 2027. You'll need to still be with us to get the credit.

Apply as soon as you can

Places are limited, and we give them out on a first-come, first-served basis. The sooner you apply, the better your chance of getting the discount.

If you can't apply online, contact us and we'll help you apply another way.

Know someone in Scotland who's with So Energy and might qualify? Please let them know applications are open.

Does It Matter Which Energy Supplier I'm With?

Yes. Your supplier needs to be part of the scheme. Every energy supplier with more than 1,000 home customers has to take part. Some smaller suppliers choose to join too. So Energy takes part every year.

What matters this time is who supplied your electricity on 23 August 2026. That supplier will give you the discount, even if you've switched since. If you joined So Energy after that date, and you’re eligible, your previous supplier will give you the discount. If you’re eligible and were with us on that date but have switched since, we'll still give you the discount.

How to Apply for the Warm Home Discount

In England and Wales, there's no application form if you’re in the Core Group. If you're eligible, the government will write to you between October and December 2026. Your letter will tell you one of two things:

• you'll get the discount automatically, with nothing to do
• you need to call the Warm Home Discount helpline to confirm some details

If your letter asks you to do so, please call the Warm Home Discount scheme number by 26 February 2027.

In Scotland, the core group works the same way, with letters going out between October and December 2026. If you're in the broader group, you apply to your energy supplier instead. So Energy customers in Scotland can apply now through their online account.

What to Do if You Haven't Had a Letter

Letters go out over a few months, so yours may still be on its way. If you think you're eligible and haven't heard anything by early January 2027, here's what to do:

1. Read the eligibility rules on gov.uk for where you live.
2. Check you or your partner got a qualifying benefit on 23 August 2026.
3. Check who supplied your electricity on that date, and that your name was on the bill.
4. Call the Warm Home Discount helpline before 26 February 2027.

You can also write to: Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 970, Preston, PR2 0FX.

If you live in Scotland and applied through your supplier, you won't get a letter from the government. Contact your supplier instead.

Warm Home Discount and Prepayment Meters

You can still get the discount if you have a prepayment meter, also called Pay As You Go (PAYG). How you get it depends on your meter:

• Smart prepayment meter, or a smart meter in prepayment mode: the credit is usually added to your meter automatically.
• Traditional prepayment meter, with a key or card: you'll usually get a voucher by post, email or text. You can use it to top up at a Paypoint or Post Office.

Vouchers can be easy to miss, so check your post, emails and texts, including junk folders. If your voucher is lost or has expired, your supplier can send a new one before 31 March 2027.

When Is the Warm Home Discount Paid?

Suppliers can apply the £150 any time between October 2026 and 31 March 2027. So it may not arrive straight away, even if your letter has confirmed you're eligible.

If you're in the broader group in Scotland, your supplier will review your application first. If it's approved, you'll get the credit by 31 March 2027.

If you've had a letter confirming you're eligible and the discount hasn't arrived by February 2027, contact your supplier. If your letter says you need to call the Helpline, please do this before the deadline stated in your letter.

Warm Home Discount Scams: What to Watch Out For

Scammers sometimes use the Warm Home Discount to try to get people's bank details. The government writes to eligible people by post. The discount is never paid as cash. So you never need to share your bank details to get it.

If you get a text, email or call asking for your bank details, don't reply. If you're not sure something's genuine, call the Helpline or check Welcome to GOV.UK .

Get the Warm Home Discount With So Energy

We take part in the Warm Home Discount every year. If you're with us and eligible, here's how you'll get your £150:

• England and Wales: we'll add it to your account automatically once the government confirms you're eligible.
• Scotland core group: it's automatic here too.
• Scotland broader group: apply through your online account. Look for the Warm Home Discount button.

If you'd rather not apply online, contact us and we'll help you.

Worried about your energy bills? We're here to help. Find out about support for So Energy customers.

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Your Warm Home Discount Questions, Answered

Can I Get the Warm Home Discount on My Gas Bill?

The discount usually goes on your electricity bill. If one supplier gives you gas and electricity, you may be able to have it on your gas bill. Contact your supplier to check. If you get both from So Energy, the credit can go towards either bill.

What if I Switch Energy Supplier Before the Payment Arrives?

You won't lose your discount. The supplier who gave you electricity on 23 August 2026 is the one who pays it. That's the case even if you've switched since. If it hasn't arrived by March 2027, contact that supplier.

Does the Warm Home Discount Affect My Other Winter Benefits?

No. It won't affect your Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment. The Winter Fuel Payment helps people of State Pension age with heating costs. In Scotland, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment replaces it. The Cold Weather Payment helps people on certain benefits in England and Wales during very cold spells. Scotland has the Winter Heating Payment instead.

What Happens if I'm on a Prepayment Meter and Don't Get My Voucher?

First, check your post, emails and texts, including junk folders. If you have a smart prepayment meter, check your meter balance too, as the credit may have been added automatically. If you still can't find it, contact your energy supplier. They can send you a new voucher. Your supplier has until 31 March 2027 to give you your discount.

What if My Warm Home Discount Voucher Is Lost or Expired?

Your supplier can send you a new voucher up to 31 March 2027. Contact them as soon as you can, with your account number and address. If the deadline has passed and you still haven't had your discount, write to: Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 970, Preston, PR2 0FX. Include your name, address, date of birth, any reference number, your supplier's name, and your account number.

Related Reading

• Warm Home Discount with So Energy
• Support for So Energy customers
• Choosing the right energy tariff
• So Energy Warm Home Discount FAQs

Sources

• Warm Home Discount Scheme, gov.uk
• Warm Home Discount Scheme: if you live in Scotland, gov.uk
• Warm Home Discount Scheme: if you do not get a letter, gov.uk
• Continuing the Warm Home Discount Scheme: government response, January 2026, gov.uk
• Warm Home Discount, Ofgem

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