When your warm home discount will be paid from energy firms including British Gas and Octopus

STRUGGLING households can get a £150 discount on their energy bill this winter.

Several energy companies offer the money off bills through the Warm Home Discount scheme.

The discount is available to those on the lowest incomes to help with rising costs.

Households in England and Wales don't need to apply to get the cash and they'll automatically qualify if they were receiving certain benefits on or before Sunday, August 21.

If you launch a successful claim for backdated benefits, you may still be able to qualify after this date.

In Scotland, some customers will need to apply for cash.

Individual energy companies decide when they will give their customers the discount.

Payments for the £150 Warm Home Discount scheme usually begin in December.

Six energy suppliers have told The Sun that they have started paying eligible customers.

But don't assume you'll get the money straight away.

Most of the energy firms are testing their systems which allow them to process the payments and some have only paid a handful of their eligible customer base.

Energy suppliers have until March 2023 to ensure that all eligible customers are paid the discount.

We asked the major energy companies when customers can expect to see the bill reduction - here's what they said.

British Gas

British Gas has confirmed that it has already begun paying out the discount to customers.

Centrica, which owns British Gas, told The Sun that a large number of its customers have already received the payment.

It also said that all payments will be made by the deadline (March 2023).

Bulb

Bulb is among the firms that have started offering the discount.

Shell Energy

Shell Energy has started issuing the discount as well.

It told The Sun that it is in the process of applying it to customers' bills.

EDF

EDF customers will have started receiving the Warm
Home Discount as well.

The firm said that eligible customers have begun to receive payments already.

Octopus

Octopus Energy has already begun paying out the discount to customers.

It said that it has just completed the payment to a few thousand customers to test that everything is running smoothly.

The firm has said that it intends to ramp up paying the remainder over the next couple of weeks.

Scottish Power

Scottish Power has also started the process of applying the discount.

The company said that customers have already started to receive the payment into their accounts.

For more information on the Warm Home Discount scheme, see our explainer.

Meanwhile, here are six simple tricks you can try to keep your energy bills down this winter.