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Help with your energy bills
Most energy help is a discount or payment you do not apply for. What you can get, help with arrears, and a warmer home.
Written by the benefitmoney.co.uk editorial team · Last reviewed 10 September 2026
Most help with energy bills is a discount or a payment you do not apply for — it arrives automatically if you qualify. Start there, then look at grants for arrears, and a warmer home last.
Discounts and payments you may get automatically
Warm Home Discount — £150
A one-off £150 off your electricity bill. There are two ways to qualify in England and Wales: the Core Group — you get the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit; and the Broader Group — a low income with high energy costs, matched from DWP data. In England and Wales it is usually automatic, by letter — no application. In Scotland the broader group must apply to their supplier (a limited fund, first come). The scheme is closed and reopens in October 2026.
Source: GOV.UK — Warm Home Discount↗. Checked 10 September 2026.
Winter Fuel Payment — £100 to £300
For people born on or before 27 June 1960, to help with heating. It is now income-tested by clawback: if your income is over £35,000, HMRC takes it back. In Scotland it is replaced by the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
Source: GOV.UK — Winter Fuel Payment↗. Opened 10 September 2026.
Cold Weather Payment — £25 a week
£25 for each 7-day spell at or below freezing, between 1 November and 31 March, paid automatically if you are on certain benefits. Scotland has the Winter Heating Payment instead.
Source: GOV.UK — Cold Weather Payment↗. Checked 10 September 2026.
If you are behind on your energy bills
- Talk to your supplier first. Under the rules they must offer affordable payment plans, and can pause action while you sort things out.
- Supplier hardship grants. Several run charitable trusts — the British Gas Energy Trust is open to non-customers — that can clear or reduce arrears.
- Fuel Direct. If you are on certain benefits, small fixed amounts can be taken from your benefit to cover usage and clear arrears — often cheaper than a prepayment top-up.
- Priority Services Register. Free extra support from your supplier and network if you are of pension age, disabled or have a health condition.
Council energy vouchers
Your council’s share of the Household Support Fund — now the Crisis and Resilience Fund often includes energy vouchers or direct help with fuel. It is a grant, and it does not affect your benefits. See what your council does.
A warmer home for less
If the problem is an old boiler or no insulation, there are grants to fix that too — see free boiler and insulation grants.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to apply for the Warm Home Discount?
Not right now — the scheme is closed and reopens in October 2026. When it is open, in England and Wales you usually do not apply: if you qualify you get a letter and the £150 comes off automatically. In Scotland the broader group applies to their supplier while the fund lasts.
Can I still get the Winter Fuel Payment?
If you were born on or before 27 June 1960 you get £100 to £300, but if your income is over £35,000 HMRC takes it back. Scotland has the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead.
Do these payments affect my other benefits?
No. The Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payment and council energy help do not reduce your benefits.
I have run out of credit on a prepayment meter.
Contact your supplier — they can add emergency or friendly-hours credit and must offer support. Your council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund can also help with fuel.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Warm Home Discount Scheme↗. Checked 10 September 2026.
- GOV.UK — Winter Fuel Payment↗. Opened 10 September 2026.
- GOV.UK — Cold Weather Payment↗. Checked 10 September 2026.
- GOV.UK — Cost of living help from your local council↗. Checked 10 September 2026.
This page is independent. It is not run by the DWP, GOV.UK or any energy supplier. Amounts and scheme windows change — the GOV.UK pages linked above are the current position.