Millions of households to get letter about £150 energy help from today - are you eligible?

The Warm Home Discount scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and officially opens today - here is what you need to know

More than three million state pensioners are being urged to keep an eye out for a letter containing details of energy help worth £150 from today.

The Warm Home Discount scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and officially opens today. You should receive a letter in the post starting from today - but for some people, it may take up until mid-December to be contacted.

You'll receive the £150 as a one-off discount that is applied directly to your electricity bill, as opposed to a bank payment, or if you have a traditional prepayment meter, you'll be given a top-up voucher. If you're a dual fuel customer, you can ask your energy supplier if it is possible to have the discount applied to your gas bill instead.

The discount should be given automatically to most people by the end of March - although if you're in Scotland, you may need to apply for it. Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “This is an important day for those worried about energy costs as we launch our Warm Home Discount to help more than three million households with their energy bills this winter.

“From now until mid-December, letters will be sent to those eligible notifying them of their £150 discount. For most people, this will be applied automatically, and if not, there are easy-to-follow instructions provided in the letter. If you don’t receive one but think you might be eligible then you can visit GOV.UK for an eligibility checker. Today we are also launching a helpline, open until February, which you can call to find out whether you meet the criteria.”

Warm Home Discount - what you need to know

You first need to see if your energy supplier is signed up to the Warm Home Discount scheme - there is a list on GOV.UK. If your supplier is on this list, then you should get the payment automatically if you, or your partner, receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit - this is known as “core group one”.

You, or your partner, need to have been claiming Pension Credit on the qualifying date, which for this winter was August 11. You should also get the discount automatically in England and Wales if you claim certain benefits and have high energy costs. Benefits that qualify you for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales are:

• Housing Benefit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• "Savings Credit" part of Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain threshold and you get:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

You can check if you're eligible to receive the discount using the GOV.UK Warm Home Discount online tool. If you live in Scotland and you claim benefits, you’ll need to apply for the Warm Home Discount through your supplier under the “broader group” criteria. Your electricity supplier may have extra eligibility criteria, as it is up to them who gets the discount in Scotland.

If you haven't received your Warm Home Discount letter by early January, you can call the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322. You must contact this helpline before February 28, 2025. The Warm Home Discount scheme is not available in Northern Ireland.