Warm Home Discount letters start arriving from 20 October: what to look for

The Warm Home Discount scheme reopens this month for winter 2026 to 2027, and the government starts writing to eligible households in England and Wales on 20 October, with letters going out until 31 December (dates as published by British Gas; gov.uk says only that the scheme reopens in October). The rebate is £150 off your electricity bill. You don't get it as cash: your supplier applies it to your account, usually between November 2026 and 31 March 2027.

Eligibility was fixed on 23 August 2026, as we covered in our August report. If you or your partner got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit that day, and your name (or your partner's) was on the electricity bill, you should be in line for it. There's no property-cost test any more. It was dropped last winter, bringing about 2.7 million more households into the scheme, and from this year England and Wales has a single “core group” based on benefits alone.

The two kinds of letter

• “You don't need to do anything.” Most households are matched automatically against benefit and supplier records. Their letter confirms the supplier will apply the discount, and that's the end of it.
• “Call the helpline.” If the government couldn't match you to a supplier, the letter asks you to call the Warm Home Discount helpline to confirm your details. This one matters: Octopus gives the deadline as 26 February 2027, and your letter will state it. Miss it and you can lose the £150 for the year, even if you qualified.

If you're asked to call, have an electricity bill to hand. The helpline asks for your name, address, date of birth, the reference number on your letter, your electricity account number and your meter point number (MPAN), which is printed on your bill.

How to spot a fake

Fake Warm Home Discount messages turn up every autumn. Two things to remember: in England and Wales you never have to apply for the discount, and the money never comes to you directly, so nobody genuine needs your bank or card details. They aren't on the list of what the helpline collects. Don't act on a text, email or call asking for them. If you're unsure, use the helpline number from GOV.UK or a real letter, not one sent to you in a message.

Scotland works differently

Some Scottish households get the discount automatically, including those on Pension Credit. Others, known as the Broader Group, have to apply to their electricity supplier. Each supplier sets its own application window and may add its own criteria, so check with yours now rather than waiting for a letter.

Switched since 23 August? You still get it

The rebate is owed by whoever supplied your electricity on 23 August. If you've switched since, that supplier still owes you the £150, so it's worth keeping your old account details. It also means the qualifying date no longer stands in the way of a switch. You can move to Octopus now, keep this winter's discount, and pick up £50 of credit through our referral link. Flexible Octopus has no exit fee.

Prepayment customers, the gas-bill option and what to do if your rebate doesn't arrive are all covered in our Warm Home Discount guide.

Sources: GOV.UK — Warm Home Discount Scheme, eligibility statement 2026 to 2027, helpline privacy notice and government response on continuing the scheme, British Gas — Warm Home Discount, Octopus Energy — Warm Home Discount 2026/27. Checked 1 October 2026.