Households eligible for the Warm Home Discount (WHD) have been told to check that the right person is registered with their energy supplier, according to a reminder reported on 14 August 2025. Eligible households must ensure the right person is registered on their electricity account by Sunday 24 August to receive the £150 automatically1.
Billpayers on means-tested benefits are eligible for WHD, after the government removed restrictions that previously excluded many households1. More than six million households will benefit from the discount on their energy bills, an increase of 2.7 million households, including 900,000 more families with children1. Eligible customers on pre-payment meters who use a key or card to top up also need to ensure their household's account is registered in their name1. Last winter, 96% of eligible households received the discount automatically1.
Matthew Cole, chief executive of the Fuel Bank Foundation, said:
"It's really important to take heed of the Government's advice and get in touch with your energy supplier to check your account details are correct and the right person is named on the account. If you have recently moved house, for example, or changed supplier you might not be named on the electricity account, or your partner could be listed instead."
Households in England, Scotland and Wales qualify for the Warm Home Discount this winter if they are a billpayer and on one of the following means-tested benefits1:
| Means-tested benefit |
|---|
| Housing Benefit |
| Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) |
| Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) |
| Income Support |
| Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit) |
| Universal Credit |
Scottish households receiving Pension Credit Guarantee Credit and named on their electricity bill will likely receive the discount automatically. Scottish households in receipt of other means-tested benefits will need to apply for the discount by calling their energy supplier1. The reminder does not set out the position for Northern Ireland, where the discount is not available; the Warm Home Discount operates in England, Scotland and Wales1.
Why it matters for households
The discount is applied to electricity bills rather than paid as cash, so the name on the account determines who receives it. Where a partner, a previous occupant or a former supplier holds the account, the £150 may not reach the household that qualifies. For homes where the account holder has changed after a move or a switch of supplier, the automatic route can fail even though the household meets the benefit test. The eligibility rules turn on being a billpayer in receipt of a qualifying benefit, which means the account name and the benefit record have to match. Automatic payment is the route most eligible households use, and it requires no application in England and Wales. In Scotland, the route differs by benefit, so some households must contact their supplier directly. Households that miss the registration date have not been told what happens to their payment; that has not been reported1.
What happens next
The deadline for having the right person registered on the electricity account is Sunday 24 August 20251. After that date, the discount is paid automatically to eligible households whose details are correct. For Scottish households on means-tested benefits other than Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, the discount requires a call to the energy supplier1.
Sources1 cited
- Warm Home Discount: Government issues reminder to eligible households | Fuel Bank Foundation, fuelbankfoundation.org