Scottish application window opens for broader group

Scottish households that receive means-tested benefits other than those that trigger automatic payment can apply for the Warm Home Discount through their energy supplier from October 2026, according to Which?¹. The discount is an annual £150 reduction on the electricity bill¹.

The scheme operates separately in Scotland and in England and Wales, and is not available in Northern Ireland¹. Around six million households are expected to receive the discount this winter, including 250,000 households in Scotland that will get it automatically for the first time¹.

For automatic payment, the person receiving the benefit must be named on the household electricity bill by 23 August 2026, which Which? describes as the qualifying date on which suppliers match customer records against eligibility¹. In Scotland, automatic eligibility covers people named on the bill, or on the bill of a partner or legal representative, before that date who receive Pension Credit, an extra amount of Universal Credit because of a disability or health condition, a disability or pensioner premium of income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or a disability or pensioner premium alongside a Support for Mortgage Interest loan¹. Automatic payment also applies where the claimant or their partner is responsible for a child under five and is unemployed on Universal Credit, receives income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or has a Support for Mortgage Interest loan¹.

In England and Wales, eligibility for the discount depends on the supplier taking part in the scheme and the household receiving Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit) or Universal Credit¹.

Which? reports that suppliers may apply extra eligibility criteria and that application windows will vary by supplier¹. Households in park homes apply through Charis from September 2026¹.

Energy companies with more than 1,000 domestic customers must pay the discount, and smaller suppliers may offer it voluntarily¹. Which? states that suppliers of that size must offer it to both the core and broader groups¹.

Why it matters for households

The discount is £150 off the electricity bill, and Which? says it should be applied by the end of March 2027¹. Households must stay with the same supplier until it is paid¹. Those who switch from a supplier that offers the discount to one that does not lose it, even if they are in the core group¹. Households added to the bill after 23 August 2026 can still receive the discount but must wait for a letter later in the year, and Which? says anyone who has not received a letter by January 2027 should call the helpline¹. Households with prepayment meters will be told by their supplier how the discount is paid, which may be a voucher to top up the meter¹. If a supplier closes, the account transfers to a new supplier chosen by Ofgem, and Which? reports that the discount should continue¹.

What happens next

Applications through energy suppliers open in October 2026 for Scottish households on other means-tested benefits, with windows varying by supplier¹. Park home applications through Charis open in September 2026¹. Payments should reach electricity bills by the end of March 2027¹. The Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline is 0800 030 9322, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm¹. More detail on eligibility and how the discount is paid is set out in the guide to the Warm Home Discount and other help with energy bills, and on benefits more generally.