The Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2026 were made on 27th March 2026 and come into force on 1st April 20261. The instrument was signed by Martin McCluskey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and consented to by two of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury on 26th March 20261. It continues the scheme in England and Wales until 31st March 20301.
The regulations are made under sections 9, 10, 14(4) and 31(5) and (6) of the Energy Act 2010, with the consent of the Treasury1. The scheme period runs from the commencement day to 31st March 20311. The prescribed rebate is £1501. Scheme year 16 runs from the commencement day to 31st March 2027, and scheme years 17 to 20 are each a period of 12 months beginning with 1st April in the years 2027 to 20301.
The aggregate non-core spending obligation rises across the scheme years1:
| Scheme year | Obligation |
|---|---|
| 16 | £78 million |
| 17 | £80 million |
| 18 | £81 million |
| 19 | £83 million |
| 20 | £84 million |
A licensed electricity supplier is a compulsory scheme electricity supplier for a scheme year if it supplied electricity to GB domestic customers on 31st December preceding the start of that year and meets the customer threshold or the gas supply condition1. The threshold is at least 1,000 GB domestic customers on 31st December preceding the start of the scheme year1. Suppliers must provide the prescribed rebate to core group customers specified in a notice on or before 31st March in the scheme year1. The regulations extend to England and Wales, with regulation 1 and regulation 33 also extending to Scotland1.
"These Regulations come into force on 1st April 2026."
Why it matters for households
The Warm Home Discount is a rebate applied to electricity bills for households in the core group, and the 2026 regulations fix its value at £150 for the continued scheme1. Because the scheme period now runs to 31st March 2031, the framework governing eligibility and supplier duties is settled for the next five scheme years rather than being renewed annually1. The rising non-core spending obligation figures indicate that suppliers' total required spending on the scheme increases each year to scheme year 201. The regulations sit within the wider UK home energy regulation and policy landscape administered by DESNZ. Households comparing support routes may note the separate question of an energy social tariff versus the Warm Home Discount, which these regulations do not address.
What happens next
The regulations come into force on 1st April 20261. Relevant suppliers must notify the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority of their number of GB domestic customers on the preceding 31st December on or before the 21st day after the commencement day, and on or before 1st February in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 20311. In scheme year 20, rebates are provided after 1st March 20311.
Sources1 cited
- The Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2026, legislation.gov.uk