British Gas sending letters to customers in October about automatic £150 payment

British Gas is one of the many suppliers committing to the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) Warm Home Discount.

The British Gas has announced £150 off energy bills for customers this winter in a Cost of Living gesture. British Gas is one of the many suppliers committing to the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) Warm Home Discount.

The Warm Home Discount scheme gives eligible households £150 towards their energy costs every year. It's available to millions of households in England, Scotland and Wales. The £150 is typically deducted from your electricity bill, but you may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead, as long as your supplier provides both your gas and electricity.

You'll need to contact your supplier to find out if the discount can be applied to your gas bill instead. People living in England and Wales don't need to apply for the Warm Home Discount as of this year. You get the payment automatically if your electricity supplier is part of the scheme and you qualify.

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Households will receive a letter in the post over the coming weeks confirming their eligibility. Though energy regulator Ofgem says some people may be asked to contact a Government helpline to confirm their eligibility. If you're on a low income, you might be eligible for the warm home discount if you receive certain benefits and tax credits:.

Housing Benefit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) are all qualification criteria, and eligibilty stretches to Income Support too, as well as the 'Savings Credit' part of Pension Credit and also Universal Credit.

Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are also listed. If it can't get the amount applied directly to your meter as quickly as it would like, British Gas says that it will send you a voucher to top up from a Post Office.

That way you'll still get your discount as soon as possible.