The Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2022 were made on 19 October 2022 and came into force on 20 October 20221. They continue, in Scotland, the scheme for reducing fuel poverty established by the Warm Home Discount Regulations 2011, under the name the Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Scheme1. The regulations were made by the Secretary of State under sections 9, 10, 14 and 31(5) and (6) of the Energy Act 2010, with the consent of the Treasury and the agreement of the Scottish Ministers1.
The scheme has effect from the commencement day until 31 March 2026, described in the regulations as the scheme period1. Scheme year 12 runs from the commencement day to 31 March 2023, and later scheme years are 12-month periods beginning 1 April in each of 2023, 2024 and 20251. The prescribed rebate is £150, other than in regulation 171. The regulations extend to Scotland only, except regulation 1 and regulation 34, which extend to England and Wales and Scotland1.
The regulations set out the core group and broader group. A person qualifies where they, or their partner where both occupy the premises as their sole or main residence, are in receipt of guarantee credit1. Suppliers must provide the prescribed rebate to the core group customers specified in the rebate notice by 31 March in that scheme year1. The regulations also set spending limits for suppliers, including that spending must not exceed the supplier's obligation percentage of £300,000 for customers supplied with neither electricity nor gas through a pre-payment meter, and must not in total exceed the supplier's obligation percentage of £600,0001. A separate limit of £800,000 applies in the circumstances set out in the regulations1.
"These Regulations make provision for the continuation, in Scotland, of the scheme for reducing fuel poverty established by the 2011 Regulations"
The regulations have been amended since they were made. Regulation 18A was inserted on 18 September 2025 by the Warm Home Discount (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1031)1. A government consultation issued on 25 September 2025 states that the Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2022 and the Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2022 both end on 31 March 2026, and that new regulations are required to continue the scheme2. That consultation proposes continuing the scheme for a period anticipated to run for five years from winter 2026 to 2027 to winter 2030 to 20312. It also states that the Warm Home Discount applies across Great Britain, with some differences in how the scheme operates in England and Wales compared with Scotland, and that the scheme is not available in Northern Ireland, where separate support is available2.
Why it matters for households
For households in Scotland, the regulations kept the Warm Home Discount running on the same footing from 20 October 2022, with a rebate of £150 and a scheme period ending 31 March 20261. Eligibility for the core group turns on receipt of guarantee credit, and suppliers are required to pay the rebate to core group customers named in the rebate notice by 31 March in the relevant scheme year1. The consultation states that in 2023 to 2024 a total of around 280,000 rebates were provided to households in Scotland across the core and broader groups2. It also states that in 2025 to 2026, with the removal of the high-cost-to-heat threshold for recipients of qualifying benefits in England and Wales, around 6 million households are expected to receive the rebate across Great Britain, an increase of around 2.7 million on the previous year2. The consultation notes that on 5 April 2025, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit became legacy benefits and were therefore removed as qualifying benefits for winter 2025 to 20262. The scheme is not available in Northern Ireland2.
What happens next
The scheme period under these regulations ends on 31 March 20261. The consultation issued on 25 September 2025 closed to responses on 20 November 2025, and states that the government will lay regulations in time to ensure the scheme is in place for the next scheme period, commencing winter 2026 to 20272. The consultation proposes a scheme period anticipated to run for five years from winter 2026 to 2027 to winter 2030 to 20312. Further detail on the benefits that qualify households for support is set out in the scheme rules.
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