Households that qualified for the winter 2021/2022 Warm Home Discount were due to receive their one-off payment by 31st March 2022, according to ScottishPower. Applications for that year's scheme had already closed, the supplier said, and any changes would be posted on its website1.
The discount is a one-off reduction applied to an electricity bill rather than a cash payment. Under the following winter's scheme, the discount was worth £150 off an electricity bill for winter 2022 to 2023, applied between October 2022 and March 20232. Eligibility for that year ran through the guaranteed credit element of Pension Credit, or through a low income and an electricity supplier's own criteria for the scheme2. The eligibility rules are set partly by suppliers, so they differ between companies, and the list of participating suppliers and how each pays the discount is not uniform.
ScottishPower's guidance for the 2021/2022 year was brief:
"Applications for the winter 2021/2022 Warm Home Discount scheme have now closed. If you've qualified for the one-off discount, you'll receive payment by 31st March 2022."
The same page set out the other winter payments running at that time. The Cold Weather Payment scheme ran from 1st November 2021 to 31st March 2022, paying £25 for each seven-day period in which the temperature where a household lives dipped to zero degrees or below1. The Winter Fuel Payment, an annual tax-free payment, was given as between £100 and £300 for those born on or before 26th September 1955, paid automatically1. A later guide, published in November 2022, gave the Winter Fuel Payment as between £250 and £600 for those born on or before 25 September 1956, with most payments made automatically in November or December and expected by 13 January 20232. The two figures differ because they describe different winters.
| Payment | Amount given | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Warm Home Discount, winter 2021/2022 | One-off discount, paid by 31st March 2022 | Applications closed1 |
| Warm Home Discount, winter 2022/2023 | £150 off electricity bill | October 2022 to March 20232 |
| Cold Weather Payment | £25 per seven-day period | 1st November 2021 to 31st March 20221 |
| Winter Fuel Payment | £100 to £300 (2021/2022 guidance) | Paid automatically1 |
| Winter Fuel Payment | £250 to £600 (2022/2023 guidance) | Expected by 13 January 20232 |
The Warm Home Discount is distinct from the Winter Fuel Payment and from a social tariff, and it is not the same as the Winter Fuel Payment, which is paid to older households regardless of supplier.
Why it matters for households
The discount reduces a bill rather than putting money in a household's hand, so it does not help with a heating oil bill or any other fuel bought outside the electricity account. For homes off the gas grid, that distinction matters: the payment arrives as a credit against electricity, while the largest winter cost may sit elsewhere. Because eligibility for low-income households depends on each supplier's own criteria, two homes on similar incomes with different suppliers may not get the same result. The payment is automatic for those who qualify through Pension Credit, but low-income households have had to check with their supplier and apply within the window, which is why the closing date, rather than the payment date, is the point at which the money is lost for that year.
What happens next
The 2021/2022 scheme had closed and payments were due by 31st March 20221. No further steps for that year have been reported.
Sources2 cited
- Energy Crisis - What's happening? | Gas and Electricity Company | ScottishPower, scottishpower.co.uk
- A UKIFDA guide for heating oil users - UKIFDA, ukifda.org