New Warm Home Discount Scheme rules - check if you are due £150 off energy bills this winter
14.10.2022 - 13:01
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Millions of households are facing a challenging winter as the temperatures begin to drop and the daylight hours get shorter. Many people will be putting on an extra layer of clothing instead of central heating this year in an effort to keep energy bills down due to the rising cost of living.
The £2,500 Energy Price Guarantee will remain in place until 2024 and is expected to help households with average usage save around £1,000 per year, but if you use more then you’ll pay more and similarly, if you use less, you’ll pay less. The £400 energy rebate started this month, which will see £66 automatically discounted off electricity bills every month until March 2023.
There’s also the Warm Home Discount Scheme, administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which opens in November and gives people on certain benefits £150 off their electricity bill. The scheme has changed this year, so we’re taking a look at eligibility, who needs to apply and who will be paid automatically.
The Warm Home Discount was introduced by the UK Government in 2011 to help eligible customers in Scotland, England and Wales with their energy bills during the winter.
It’s there to provide support for those living on low incomes or people of State Pension age.
While the UK Government and Ofgem, the energy regulator, make decisions on which households qualify and how much you will get, energy suppliers including British Gas, EDF, Scottish Power, SSE, E.on, Octopus, Shell and Utilita, fund it.
The guidance on GOV.UK states that the scheme officially opens in November, which means the participating list of suppliers has not been updated yet. However, most providers will have a dedicated page on their website offering updates on when they will be