Warm Home Discount helpline opens for winter 2026/27

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed that the Warm Home Discount scheme for winter 2026/27 opened its helpline on October 19, 2026, providing support to eligible households with their electricity bills¹. The scheme gives a £150 discount directly onto electricity bills for qualifying low-income households across Scotland, England and Wales¹. The helpline number is 0800 030 9322¹.

Eligibility is based on household circumstances on August 23, 2026, so people must have met the relevant conditions on that date to qualify for this winter's support¹. The benefit recipient, their partner or legal representative must have been named on an electricity account with a participating supplier on that date¹. In England and Wales, eligibility is linked to receipt of certain means-tested benefits¹. Scotland operates a different system, with eligible households divided into a Core Group and a Broader Group¹. For winter 2026/27, changes to Scotland's Core Group mean more eligible households will receive the £150 discount automatically through data matching¹. Qualifying benefits for the Scottish Core Group include Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Support for Mortgage Interest, although additional conditions apply to some benefits¹. Some households may still need to apply directly to their electricity supplier under the Broader Group, which operates separately from the Core Group, meaning an automatic award should not be assumed simply because someone receives a qualifying benefit¹.

The discount is not paid directly into a bank account. It is paid to the energy supplier and applied to the energy account, usually electricity, although customers can ask for it to be applied to their gas account instead¹. Prepayment customers receive credit towards future energy use, while some people may receive a voucher or cheque depending on their circumstances and supplier¹. In most cases suppliers must provide the discount by March 31, 2027¹. Claims can be made up until March 31, 2027¹.

Turn2us, in guidance reviewed on August 10, 2026, said pensioners who get Pension Credit can get £150 off their winter fuel bill through the scheme, and that the supplier applies the discount to the bill². It said the scheme would open for applications in October 2026². Scope, in guidance reviewed on September 1, 2026, said the scheme was closed and applications reopen in October 2026³. One Parent Families Scotland, in guidance last updated on August 31, 2026, described the discount as a one-off payment of £150 towards the electricity bill that does not affect other payments or benefits such as Winter Heating Payment or Winter Fuel Payment, and advised checking in October 2026 whether applications are open⁴. It said application windows are very short and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and that some suppliers do not offer the discount⁴.

Why it matters for households

The discount reduces an electricity account by £150 for households that met the conditions on August 23, 2026 and were named on an account with a participating supplier¹. Households in Scotland who qualify through the Core Group should receive a UK Government letter confirming entitlement, and letters will be issued to eligible and potentially eligible households by January 2027¹. British Gas says letters for the 2026/27 scheme are expected to start being issued later this month¹. Those who do not qualify automatically but think they may be eligible through Scotland's Broader Group should check their supplier's website regularly as application windows open¹. The discount does not affect other payments or benefits such as Winter Heating Payment or Winter Fuel Payment⁴.

Separately, the energy price cap is set to rise by 3.6% in October, according to One Parent Families Scotland, which notes that Ofgem reviews the cap every three months⁴. The cap limits standing charges and unit rates on standard variable tariffs rather than the total bill, so households using more energy pay more⁴.

What happens next

Letters to eligible and potentially eligible households are due by January 2027¹. Claims can be made until March 31, 2027, and in most cases suppliers must provide the discount by that date¹. Households in Scotland who may qualify through the Broader Group should check with their participating supplier about application requirements¹.