The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published Council tax information letter 6/2026 on 29 October 2026, giving local authorities in England initial information on the Household Energy Payment and the next steps for its delivery1. The letter applies to England1.
The published page describes the letter as a summary and next steps for delivery of the government's Household Energy Payment scheme, and states its purpose in a single line1:
"This letter provides local authorities with initial information on the Household Energy Payment and next steps for delivery."
The letter is published as a council tax information letter, the channel through which central government normally communicates with billing authorities on council tax matters, and it sits with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government rather than the department that leads on home energy policy, DESNZ1. The publication does not set out the size of the payment, who will receive it, how households will be paid, or how it will interact with council tax bills; none of these details has been reported in the published material1. The letter's own text, as reproduced on the publication page, is limited to the summary line quoted above1.
The publication gives no figure for the total cost of the scheme, no eligibility criteria and no delivery timetable beyond the reference to 2027 in its title1. It also does not say whether any equivalent arrangement is planned in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland; the letter applies to England only, and no corresponding announcement for the devolved nations has been reported1. Policy on energy and buildings in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government, and the letter does not address it1.
Why it matters for households
The letter marks the point at which councils in England begin to receive formal information about a payment carrying the 2027 date, which indicates that delivery is being planned through local authority systems rather than as a standalone energy supplier mechanism1. For a household, the practical questions are the amount, the eligibility test and the route by which money arrives, whether as a credit against a council tax account or by another method; the published letter does not answer any of these1. Until those details are set out, the effect on a home's energy costs and on its energy independence cannot be quantified from official information1. The letter is a procedural step in the regulation and policy process rather than an announcement of terms1.
What happens next
The letter is described as providing initial information and next steps for delivery, so further communication with local authorities on the scheme is implied, but no dates for that have been published1. No start date for payments, no eligibility rules and no parliamentary or consultation timetable appear in the published material1.