The Warm Home Discount is a £150 one-off credit on electricity bills for eligible low-income households in winter 2026/27. In England and Wales, households receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit on the qualifying date are matched automatically and do not need to apply.
It is a government scheme, funded and paid out by energy suppliers, that takes £150 off an eligible household’s electricity bill each winter. The government sets the eligibility rules and the suppliers deliver it.
The scheme was widened in 2025 when the high-cost-to-heat test for people on means-tested benefits was removed. Government estimates at the time said around 2.7 million more households would benefit. For 2026/27 the scheme begins a new five-year period running to winter 2030/31, so the basic design should be stable for a while
You are in the core group if you or your partner were receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit on the qualifying date for 2026/27, which suppliers have published as 23 August 2026. Qualifying benefits include Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, and certain tax credits. Check the official GOV.UK list for the exact conditions attached to each benefit.
Eligibility does not depend on whether you rent or own, how big your home is or what its energy rating is.
England and Wales
Core group matched automatically. No application.
Scotland
Core group expanded, so more households receive it automatically. Others may still apply through their supplier's broader group. Check your supplier.
Northern Ireland
Not covered by the scheme. A separate Affordable Warmth Scheme exists.
If you qualify, the discount is applied as a credit to your electricity account, or as a top-up for prepayment customers, usually over the winter. Letters are sent to eligible households from the Warm Home Discount Scheme. If you think you qualify and have not had a letter, contact the Warm Home Discount helpline or your supplier and check the cut-off date on GOV.UK, because deadlines have varied between sources.
Scam warning. The scheme does not call, text or email people to ask for bank details or to “sign you up”. Treat any approach like that as a scam and report it.
The £150 is useful, but it is a one-off. These schemes are aimed at lasting reductions in bills, and some can fund solar panels. Eligibility and funding change often, so check the current rules before you apply.
Warm Homes: Local Grant (England)
Low-income owner-occupiers and private renters, typically on means-tested benefits or under a household income threshold, with an energy-inefficient home (usually EPC D to G
Sometimes. Solar is one possible measure, not an entitlement. Local authorities run it, and a local-authority flexible route can help households who are not on benefits.
ECO4
Low-income and fuel-poor households with inefficient homes
Sometimes, supplier's choice. The scheme is scheduled to close on 31 December 2026.
Warm Homes Nest (Wales)
Lower-income homeowners and private renters in Wales with inefficient homes.
Possible, subject to assessment
Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan
Scottish households, not benefit-tested
Offers support towards renewables, including solar, via a grant and loan route
Warm Homes Plan (England)
Government's £15 billion programme launched in January 2026, including funded upgrades for low-income homes and low-interest loans
Aims to put solar on far more roofs. Check the latest rollout details
In genuine grant schemes you own the panels once they are fitted. Be wary of anything described as “free solar” that involves a lease, a roof-rental contract or repayments. Leased systems can complicate a later house sale.
You may still be able to cut costs.
If you are weighing solar, our guides to whether solar pays off in winter and whether autumn is a good time to install cover the timing and returns, and how to find an installer near you explains how to verify one.
The fastest way to see what a fair local price looks like is to compare several vetted quotes for your own roof. SolarForYou lets you compare quotes from MCS-certified installers in your area, so you can judge price, warranty and system design together before you commit
It is a one-off £150 credit on the electricity bill of eligible low-income households for winter 2026/27. Suppliers fund and pay it, and the government sets the eligibility rules. In England and Wales, qualifying households are matched automatically and do not need to apply.
Yes. People often search for “warm house discount”, but the scheme’s official name is the Warm Home Discount. It is the same one-off £150 winter electricity rebate, paid by energy suppliers to eligible low-income households.
Not in England or Wales, where eligible households are matched automatically using benefit data. In Scotland, many more people now receive it automatically, but some still apply through their supplier. If you think you qualify and have heard nothing, contact the helpline or your supplier.
Households where you or your partner received a qualifying means-tested benefit on the qualifying date, published as 23 August 2026. Qualifying benefits include Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and certain tax credits. Property size, type and energy rating no longer matter.
No. It is a bill credit, not a grant. Other means-tested schemes such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant and, until 31 December 2026, ECO4 can fund energy upgrades including solar for eligible homes, but solar is not guaranteed.
