The Warm Home Discount will reopen in October 2023, according to Isle of Anglesey County Council, which published the reopening date in its cost of living guidance. The scheme is paid by the electricity supplier as a discount on the bill1.
Eligible households should have received a letter by November or December 2023 and there is no need to apply, the council states. Householders can check their eligibility from October 2023. To do so they will need the name of their electricity supplier, details of any benefits they receive, the size and age of their property and whether it has an energy performance certificate (EPC). A postcode can be entered to find the EPC rating1.
"The Warm Homes Discount Scheme will reopen in October 2023. It is paid by the supplier as a discount on the bill."
The council's page also sets out other winter support with dates and amounts. The Cold Weather Payment scheme for 2023 to 2024 opens in November 2023, with most people paid automatically if they qualify; a payment is made when the average temperature drops to 0 degrees Celsius or below for seven days in a row1. The Winter Fuel Payment is available to those born before 25 September 1957, worth between £250 and £600, and includes a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment of between £150 and £300 paid in winter 2023 to 20241.
| Support | Amount or trigger | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Warm Home Discount | Discount on the bill, paid by supplier | Reopens October 2023; letters by November or December 2023 |
| Cold Weather Payment | Paid when average temperature drops to 0 degrees Celsius or below for 7 days in a row | Scheme opens November 2023 |
| Winter Fuel Payment | £250 to £600, including £150 to £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment | Winter 2023 to 2024 |
The council notes it is not responsible for implementing these plans or making the payments1. For households off the gas grid, the page states that if a resident is 75 or over, has oil heating and their supplier is a member of UKIDFA, they should be added to the Cold Weather Priority Initiative, under which the supplier must get them the fuel they need. Limited assistance with off grid fuel may be available through the council's financial inclusion team, but only until current funding expires1.
Why it matters for households
The discount is applied to the electricity bill by the supplier rather than paid as cash, so it reduces the amount owed rather than providing money to spend elsewhere. Because most eligible households are identified automatically and receive a letter, the practical step reported is checking eligibility rather than making an application. For a household weighing up how to claim the Warm Home Discount, the council's account is that no claim is needed where the letter arrives.
The wider set of payments described on the same page is triggered by age, benefits and temperature rather than by energy use, so a home's exposure to cold weather and its heating fuel both shape what it receives. Off gas grid homes face a different route again, through the Cold Weather Priority Initiative for oil heating customers of UKIDFA members1. The page also points to energy efficiency measures such as insulation and solar panels through schemes such as ECO and Nest as ways to make a home warmer, and notes that residents with a disability, a health condition, pensioners, households with a child under 5 or a pregnancy can get help to make their home as warm as possible1.
What happens next
Eligibility checking opens in October 2023, letters to eligible persons are expected by November or December 2023, and the Cold Weather Payment scheme for 2023 to 2024 opens in November 20231. The council states that most people are paid automatically if they qualify for the Cold Weather Payment and the Winter Fuel Payment1.
Sources1 cited
- Help with household costs, anglesey.gov.wales