Save £140 on Winter fuel bills with the Warm Homes Discount Scheme
Customers are being urged to check whether they are eligible for the Warm Homes Discount (WHD) – a scheme that could save them £140 on their electricity bill.
The Government scheme is a one-off discount on your electricity bill between September and March – the money is not paid directly to you.
If your energy supplier supplies you with both gas and electricity, you may be able to get the discount off your gas bill, but check with them.
The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.
The Cold Weather Payment is where you get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days. If you were born on or before 5 April 1954, you could get between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills.
There are two ways to qualify for the Warm Homes Discount Scheme, which will start on October 14 this year.
However, some suppliers have already opened their schemes and operate on a first– come, first–served basis.
You are eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit – known as the ‘core group’ – or if you are on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme which is known as the ‘broader group’.
How you apply for the Warm Home Discount Scheme depends on how you qualify for the discount.
Angie Noble, from our Money Advice Team said: “It is definitely worth customers taking five minutes to check if they meet the criteria and applying – it could save them £140.
“Some people can struggle to afford to keep their heating on over the winter, so this saving could make a big difference.
“Our Money Advisors are available to help customers check their eligibility and help them to apply – all they will need to know is who provides their energy and have details of family circumstances such as income as well as possibly some meter readings.
“Some of the energy suppliers’ schemes are already open and operate on a first– come, first–served criteria, so customers need to check with their electricity supplier as soon as possible and keep checking if they are not yet open.
“They are all different and nobody wants to miss out on an extra £140 off their winter electricity bill.
“Any customer who would like some help exploring their eligibility for this discount should contact the Money Advice Team."
You can still qualify for the discount if you use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter. Your electricity supplier can tell you how you’ll get the discount if you’re eligible, for example a voucher you can use to top up your meter.
A list of suppliers in the scheme, are below.
To find out more about eligibility criteria and how to apply for the discount, visit gov.uk/the-warm-home-discountscheme or call our Money Advice Team on 300 123 1745 and pressing option 2 for the income team and then option 2 again to speak to an advisor.
The following suppliers are part of the WHD Scheme:
A-E
F-J
K-O
P-T
U-Z
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