How much is it?
Image credits: A radiator thermostat, Coins saved in a jar, A laptop and phone on a desk. All photos: Wikimedia Commons, freely licensed.
The Warm Home Discount for winter 2026/27 is £150, paid once, as a credit on your electricity bill. It is the same £150 for every qualifying household: there is no higher rate for larger families, colder homes, or higher bills, and no lower rate for smaller bills. If your bill is less than £150, the credit still applies — your supplier will deal with any leftover balance under its own rules, so ask them rather than assuming the remainder is lost or paid out as cash.
What the £150 covers
| Situation | How the £150 is applied |
|---|---|
| Direct debit or billed account | Credited to your electricity account, reducing what you owe |
| Same supplier for gas and electricity | You may be able to take it on your gas bill instead — ask your supplier |
| Prepayment meter | Your supplier tells you how it reaches you, often as a top-up voucher |
| Bill smaller than £150 | Credit still applied; ask your supplier how any remainder is handled |
It helps to be clear about what the £150 is not. It is not a cash payment, it is not a benefit you can spend on anything else, and it is not deducted from your other benefits. Receiving the discount does not reduce your Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Housing Benefit, and it does not affect a Winter Fuel Payment or a Cold Weather Payment — those are separate payments with their own rules, and getting one does not stop you getting another. The £150 is also not taxable income in the way wages are, and you do not need to report it as income to the DWP or HMRC.
How many households get it
Around 6 million households across Great Britain are expected to receive the discount this winter. That is roughly double the number helped in winter 2023/24, when 3.35 million households received it. The jump came from removing the high-cost-to-heat test in England and Wales for winter 2025/26, which brought in over 2 million more households, including around a million families with children. The scheme is funded by a levy spread across domestic energy bills, which is why the government describes the cost as shared by all billpayers rather than paid from general taxation.
How the amount has changed
| Winter | Rebate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 (launch) | £120 | Scheme begins |
| 2014/15 onwards | £140 | Standard rate for several winters |
| 2022/23 onwards | £150 | Current rate, unchanged for winter 2026/27 |
The amount has barely moved in fifteen years while energy bills have risen sharply, and that is a fair criticism of the scheme that charities raise every winter: £150 covers roughly a month of a typical bill, not a winter. It is still worth having — it is automatic for most people, it stacks with other help, and it costs nothing to receive — but it should not be mistaken for a solution to fuel poverty on its own. If £150 leaves you still struggling, the if you don't get it page lists the other help worth checking, including Industry Initiatives support from your supplier and a benefits check to make sure you are claiming everything you are entitled to.
Sources: GOV.UK, Warm Home Discount scheme guidance and the Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) and (Scotland) Regulations; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Continuing the Warm Home Discount Scheme government response and impact assessment (2026/27 to 2030/31); GOV.UK news, Households to receive £150 Warm Home Discount confirmation letter (22 October 2026); Ofgem scheme guidance.