Thousands of households are set to get £150 off their energy bills today as a handy scheme reopens.
Eligible bill payers will get the money off their electricity bill between October and March 2024.
The scheme officially reopens today, October 16, and those who qualify will get the cash between then and March 31 at the latest.
The Warm Home 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 are receiving certain benefits.
In Scotland, some customers will need to apply for cash.
Energy suppliers will automatically dish out the payment, worth £150 this year, as long as you were receiving certain benefits on August 13.
However, if you later launched a successful claim for backdated benefits before October 13, you may still be able to qualify after this date.
Between now and December, the government will be issuing letters to households that qualify for the scheme.
And payments for the £150 discount will begin today.
It’s up to individual energy companies to decide when they will give their customers the discount.
So far firms including British Gas, OVO and Octopus have announced they’re dishing out the discount.
To qualify, you need to claim either the guaranteed credit element of Pension Credit or a different qualifying means-tested benefit, including:
Income support
Income based jobseeker’s allowance
Income related employment and support allowance
Housing benefit
Universal Credit
Child tax credit
Working tax credits
Pension Credit savings credit
If you weren’t claiming any of the above benefits on August 13 you won’t be eligible for the payment.
Where someone claims a qualifying benefit, the government will assess their energy costs based on the type, age and size of property.
You may not be considered eligible for the Warm Home Discount if you live in a more energy-efficient property for instance, even if you receive a qualifying benefit.
Although that rule doesn’t apply to recipients of the guarantee credit portion of Pension Credit.
How do I get the discount in Scotland?
The Scottish Government has not changed their Warm Home Discount scheme to bring it in line with England and Wales’ application-free scheme.
Households in Scotland will have to follow the rules set out in the legacy scheme.
This means there is still a “core group” that’ll receive an automatic payment and a “broader group” who’ll have to apply for the scheme with their energy provider.
How will I receive the Warm Home Discount?
If you pay by direct debit or on receipt of your bill the Warm Home Discount will be added to your electricity account as a credit.
If you have a traditional prepayment meter, your energy firmwill send you a voucher you can use to top up your meter at your local PayPoint kiosk.
If you’ve got a smart prepayment meter, it will send the discount directly to your meter as a credit.
It will then send you an email to let you know it’s on there.
The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.