E.ON Next has confirmed that 565,000 customers have already received the £150 Warm Home Discount for the 2026/27 scheme, applied automatically as a credit to their electricity accounts1. The supplier announced the figure on Thursday 22 October 2026, saying payments will continue until the end of March 20271.
The discount is a one-off £150 credit towards electricity costs, funded by energy suppliers, for eligible households in England, Wales and Scotland1. E.ON Next said it will keep issuing payments as it receives new customer details from the Government helpline for the Core Group and identifies eligible customers in Scotland's Broader Group2. Last winter the supplier provided more than £140 million of support through the scheme, helping over 800,000 customers1.
"For a number of years, we've worked to apply Warm Home Discount payments to eligible customers' bills as early as possible, so they can benefit as winter approaches."
The eligibility rules differ by nation. In England and Wales there is only the Core Group, for people on certain means-tested benefits; in Scotland there is both a Core Group and a Broader Group2. E.ON Next lists the Core Group benefits in England and Wales as Pension Credit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Housing Benefit2. For Scotland's Core Group it lists Pension Credit, Universal Credit with a disability or health element, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Support for Mortgage Interest loans with a disability or pensioner premium, Unemployed Universal Credit, income-related ESA, or an SMI loan while living with a child under 52. The Broader Group covers a wider range of people not already eligible for the Core Group, including those receiving Income-related ESA, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Pension Age or Adult Disability Payment, Council Tax Reduction for disability or low income, or households with income below a certain threshold1. Receiving one of these benefits does not guarantee an award under the Broader Group, as additional conditions may apply1.
| Group | Nations | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
| Core Group | England, Wales, Scotland | May qualify automatically; eligible customers contacted by the beginning of January 20271 |
| Broader Group | Scotland only | Must apply directly to E.ON Next1 |
Most households receive the £150 as a credit to their electricity account, including those on Smart Pay As You Go meters; customers with traditional prepayment meters receive a top-up voucher to redeem instead1. E.ON Next also points to its Energy Fund, which can provide financial assistance, replacement of inefficient or broken appliances and debt write-off, and to repayment plans arranged around what a customer can afford with no interest applied2. Through the free Lightning Reach platform, customers can explore more than 2,500 grants and support schemes; the partnership has facilitated an estimated £2.6 million in grants and £4.5 million in identified benefits since it began2.
Why it matters for households
The £150 is a fixed credit against electricity, not a change to unit rates or standing charges, so it reduces the winter bill by the same amount whatever a household's usage. Because it is applied to the electricity account, it does not by itself change how a home is heated or how much energy it uses. For eligible households it is money that arrives without an application in most of Britain, but in Scotland the Broader Group route depends on the household applying to the supplier, so the payment is not automatic for that group1. The difference between the Warm Home Discount and the Winter Fuel Payment matters here: this is a supplier-funded electricity credit, separate from the winter payments made through the benefits system.
What happens next
E.ON Next says eligible Core Group customers will be contacted by the beginning of January 2027, and that anyone not contacted by then who thinks they qualify should check the Government's Warm Home Discount guidance1. Customers in Scotland's Broader Group need to apply directly with E.ON Next2. Payments continue on electricity accounts until the end of March 20271. E.ON recently completed its acquisition of OVO Energy; it says there is no immediate change for customers of either2.