Warm Home Discount scheme reopens – how to get £140 off your energy bills with British Gas to Scottish Power
THE Warm Home Discount scheme has reopened for applications - and it can give you £140 off your energy bills.
The discount could come in handy if you're likely to struggle to keep your home warm during the winter.
What is the Warm Home Discount?
The Warm Home Discount is a one-off payment of £140 that goes towards your heating costs.
It is usually paid directly to your energy supplier which will then apply the discount to your bills.
If you have a pre-payment meter, you'll be sent a £140 voucher that you can use to top up your account.
The discount applies between September and March and can also be used towards a gas bill if you have the same supplier for both gas and electricity.
There are two ways you can be eligible for the payment:
- if you get the guarantee credit element of pension credit you'll be in what's called the "core group"
- if you're on a low income and meet your supplier's criteria you'll be in what's referred to as the "broader group".
How do I apply for the discount?
Core group
If you're in the "core" group of people who get the discount, on July 5, 2020 all of the following must have applied:
- your
- your name (or partner’s) was on the bill
- you were getting the guarantee credit element of (even if you get savings credit as well).
You'll then receive a letter between October 2020 and December 2020 telling you
This letter will tell you if you need to call the helpline by February 26, 2021 to confirm your details.
If you don't receive the letter, contact the Warm Home Discount team on 0800 731 0214.
You can also write to Warm Home Discount, Blue Zone, Ground Floor Phase 1, Peel Park, Brunel Way, Blackpool, FY4 5ES
Your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by the end of March 2021.
Broader group
If you're on a low income and get certain means-tested benefits, you could still be eligible if your .
For this group, it's the providers that decide who gets the discount - so you will need to check with your supplier to see if you’re eligible and how to apply.
Do this as early as possible as the number of discounts suppliers can give are limited.
All of the big six energy suppliers have recently opened their applications for winter 2020/2021. Use the below online forms to apply.
- (owned by OVO Energy)
If you are successful, your energy supplier will apply the discount by March 31, 2020.
You can check out the eligibility criteria for the big six suppliers below.
What's the eligibility criteria for the big six suppliers?
THE eligibility criteria for the 'broader group' varies slightly between suppliers, below are the general rules.
To qualify, you must be the account holder or partner of the account holder and are required to meet one of the following criteria:
- In receipt of the State Pension Credit (unless already qualifying as part of core group)
- In receipt of either Income Support, Income based Jobseekers’ Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit
The benefit must also include one of the following:
- Child element for children aged 5 or under
- Disabled child element
Alternatively, you must have a gross annual household income of less than £16,1902 and at least one of the following applies:
- The account holder is living with mental or physical disability or illness
- The account holder is of pensionable age
- There's a child living in the house aged 5 or under
- You spend 10 per cent or more of household income on energy bills to heat your property
If you're not with one of the big six suppliers, you may still be able to get the warm home discount.
For example, and are both also offering the scheme, although they haven't yet reopened for applications.
For more information about what help is on offer, contact your energy supplier directly.
Is it different from cold weather payments?
Yes. You may still be able to get a cold weather payment as well as the warm home discount.
The cold weather payment is a £25 payout to benefits claimants when temperatures in their area fall below zero degrees celsius for seven consecutive days between November 1, 2020 and 31 March, 2021.
You don’t need to apply for the cold weather payment as it’s paid automatically.
But you can .
Most read in MoneY
Energy bills have soared by £32 a month during coronavirus lockdown as many of us spend more time at home.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Meanwhile, energy prices for suppliers have nearly halved to hit an all-time low but the savings aren't being passed on to customers.
Energy firms were in June given the green light to start chasing unpaid bills - we explain how to get help.