Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2026 signed and consented

The Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2026 were signed by the Minister for Energy Consumers and consented to by two Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury on 29th April 2026¹. The regulations were made on 30th April 2026 and come into force on 1st May 2026¹. They continue, in Scotland, the scheme for reducing fuel poverty established by the Warm Home Discount Regulations 2011 and continued in Scotland by the 2022 Regulations¹.

The scheme is to be known as the Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Scheme and "has effect during the period beginning with the commencement day and ending with 31st March 2031 (the 'scheme period')"¹. The "prescribed rebate" is £150¹. The regulations extend to Scotland only, except for regulation 1 and regulation 38, which extend to England and Wales and Scotland¹.

The Secretary of State made the regulations under sections 9, 10, 14(4) and 31(5) and (6) of the Energy Act 2010, with the consent of the Treasury and the agreement of the Scottish Ministers¹. Before making them, the Secretary of State consulted the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, licensed electricity suppliers, licensed gas suppliers and other persons thought appropriate, and consulted the Information Commissioner¹. A draft was laid before, and approved by resolution of, each House of Parliament¹.

Suppliers with at least 1,000 GB domestic customers on 31st December preceding the start of the scheme year are within scope¹. A supplier must provide the prescribed rebate to core group customers specified in a notice on or before 31st March in the scheme year, or, where a late rebate notice applies, before the end of the period of 30 days beginning with the day it receives that notice¹. Rebates may be given by crediting the customer's electricity account so that the amount charged, including VAT, is reduced by the prescribed rebate².

Spending limits apply to suppliers' non-core obligations. These must not exceed the supplier's obligation percentage of £300,000 for customers supplied with neither electricity nor gas through a pre-payment meter, £600,000 in total in one case, and £800,000 in total in another¹. Where the aggregate non-core spending obligation for the scheme year exceeds £7 million, a lesser figure applies¹.

The regulations also set notification dates. A relevant supplier must notify the Authority of its number of GB domestic customers on the preceding 31st December on or before the 21st day after the commencement day, and on 1st February in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031¹. In scheme year 20, a standard rebate notice may not be given after 1st March 2031¹.

The Disclosure of State Pension Credit Information (Warm Home Discount) Regulations 2011, which allow the Secretary of State to supply electricity suppliers with information about customers receiving state pension credit, were amended so that references to "the WHD (Scotland) Regulations" mean the 2026 regulations, with effect from 1st May 2026³.

Why it matters for households

The regulations keep a £150 rebate in place for eligible Scottish households across scheme years running to 31st March 2031¹. The first scheme year runs from commencement to 31st March 2027, with later scheme years running 1st April to 31st March¹. Eligibility for the core group is determined under Schedule 1, and the 2011 disclosure regulations continue to let the Secretary of State pass state pension credit information to suppliers so that rebates can be applied automatically².

The rules also cover people who are temporarily away from home. Someone staying in hospital is treated as still occupying their home if the stay has not exceeded 52 weeks from admission, and someone in a care home or hospice is treated as still occupying their home if the residence is temporary¹. Where a person lacks capacity to arrange their supply and it is in another person's name, that person is treated as the customer for these purposes¹.

What happens next

Rebates for the current scheme year must be provided on or before 31st March 2027¹.