MILLIONS of struggling households can get £150 off their electricity bills this winter.
Hard-up families are eligible for the Warm House Discount to help them combat rising costs.
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The scheme is open to those on the lowest incomes and you don’t need to apply.
In previous years you could apply to your energy supplier for the bill discount if they offered it.
Households in England and Wales don’t need to apply to get the discount and they’ll automatically qualify if they are receiving certain benefits.
In Scotland, some customers will need to apply for cash.
Energy suppliers will automatically dish out the discount, which is £150 this year, as long as you were receiving certain benefits on or before Sunday, August 21.
What is the Warm Home Discount?
The Warm Home Discount is an automatic £150 discount off energy bills, and payments began this month.
As it is a discount, no money is paid to you.
You’ll need to be a recipient of one or more of the following benefits to qualify:
Income support
Income based jobseeker’s allowance
Income related employment and support allowance
Housing benefit
Universal credit
Child tax credit
Working tax credits
Pension credit guaranteed
Pension credit savings credit
If you weren’t claiming any of the above benefits on August 21 you won’t be eligible for the payment.
But thousands of pensioners could backdate successful claims for pension credit and still qualify for the Warm Home Discount now.
Pension credit rules all allow first-time claimants to backdate their benefit entitlement by three months.
So you’ll need to launch your claim by Friday, November 18 and then successfully get it backdated to cover the August 21 Warm Home Discount qualifying date.
What to do if you can’t pay your bills
FALLING behind on your energy bills can be extremely stressful.
If you’re struggling to pay what you owe, contact your supplier as soon as possible.
Your provider has to help you come up with a solution, and you should be able to negotiate a deal that works for you both.
One option is to agree a payment plan where you pay off your debts in affordable instalments.
You may be able to pay off your debts directly from your benefits through the Fuel Direct Scheme.
A fixed amount will automatically be taken to cover what you owe plus your usage.
To be eligible, you must be getting one of the following benefits:
Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
Income support
income-related employment and support allowance
Pension credit
Universal Credit (but only if you’re not working)
If you cannot come to an agreement with your supplier, they may try to force you to get a prepayment meter installed.
In very rare cases, where you refuse to negotiate, your supplier might threaten you with disconnection.
How do I apply for the discount?
People living in England and Wales don’t need to apply for the Warm Home Discount as of this year.
You get the payment automatically if your electricity supplier is part of the scheme and you qualify.
Though energy regulator Ofgem says some people may be asked to contact a Government helpline to confirm their eligibility.
The money won’t be paid to you directly – it’ll be added as credit to your electricity account. This usually happens between October and April.
According to the gov.uk website these are the energy suppliers signed up for the scheme:
Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy
Atlantic – see SSE
Boost
British Gas
British Gas Evolve (formerly British Gas X) – see British Gas
Bulb Energy
Co-op Energy – see Octopus Energy
E (Gas and Electricity)
Ecotricity
E.ON
E.ON Next
EDF
GEUK (Green Energy UK)
Good Energy
London Power
M&S Energy
Nabuh Energy
Octopus Energy
Outfox the Market
OVO
Rebel Energy
Sainsbury’s Energy
Scottish Gas – see British Gas
Scottish Hydro – see SSE
ScottishPower
Shell Energy Retail
So Energy
Southern Electric – see SSE
SSE
Swalec – see SSE
Utilita
Utility Warehouse
Please visit the Government website for more information.
Is it different from cold weather payments?
Yes. You may still be able to get a cold weather payment as well as the warm home discount.
The cold weather payment is a £25 payout to benefits claimants when temperatures in their area fall below zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days between November and March.
You don’t need to apply for the cold weather payment as it’s paid automatically.
Hundreds of postcodes have already been triggered this winter.
What is the winter fuel payment?
If you were born on or before 25 September 1956 you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills.
This is known as a Winter Fuel Payment.
This year the amount you’ll get includes a pensioner cost of living payment.
This is between £150 and £300. You’ll only get this extra amount in winter 2022 to 2023.
You generally do not need to claim Winter Fuel Payment – you’ll get it automatically if you’re eligible.
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We have rounded up all of the major money changes taking place this month including cost of living payments and discounts.
There are further payments and discounts coming out in December as well, such as the Universal Credit Christmas bonus.