The Warm Home Discount is a UK-wide scheme paying eligible low-income households a £150 one-off rebate on their electricity bill each winter. It’s not a glazing grant and it doesn’t pay for any work on your home — but searches for “Warm Home Discount windows” are common enough that it’s worth explaining what the scheme actually does, and how it relates to grants that can fund your windows.

What the Warm Home Discount actually is

• £150 rebate applied to your electricity bill between October and March each winter
• Automatic for most Pension Credit recipients — no application needed
• Application-based for “broader group” recipients — means-tested low-income households
• Offered by major energy suppliers — British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next, Octopus, Scottish Power, OVO and others. Not all suppliers participate; you must be with a participating supplier
• £150 flat — same amount regardless of energy bill size

The scheme exists to help low-income households manage winter energy costs. It does not fund insulation, glazing, or heating upgrades — those come through ECO4, Home Energy Scotland, or the Welsh Nest scheme.

Why it still matters for double glazing

Eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount overlap heavily with ECO4 eligibility. If you qualify for Warm Home Discount, you’re very likely to qualify for ECO4 too — which can pay for new windows. Think of Warm Home Discount as both a benefit in itself AND a strong signal to investigate ECO4.

Specifically, both schemes consider:

• Receipt of Pension Credit (guarantee credit)
• Receipt of means-tested benefits (Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA/ESA)
• Low household income (typical threshold ~£20,000 gross)
• Household member with a health condition aggravated by cold

The decision tree: if you’re already getting Warm Home Discount, apply to ECO4 next. See our ECO4 guide.

Who qualifies for Warm Home Discount

Core Group (automatic)

You’re in the Core Group and receive the £150 automatically if you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit on the qualifying date (usually early August) and you’re with a participating energy supplier.

Broader Group (application-based)

Low-income households with high energy costs. You must be with a participating energy supplier and the supplier runs its own application window (typically August-December). Each supplier has slightly different criteria. Check your supplier’s Warm Home Discount page early autumn.

How to claim

• Core Group (Pension Credit): the DWP automatically notifies your energy supplier and the £150 is applied as a credit to your electricity account. No paperwork
• Broader Group: apply through your energy supplier. Submit evidence of qualifying benefits or low income. Approval can take 6-12 weeks

If you don’t receive the automatic credit by 31 March, call the Warm Home Discount Helpline on 0800 030 9322 to check.

Scotland — different scheme

Scottish households on Pension Credit Guarantee Credit still receive the £150 via the UK-wide Core Group automatically. But Scotland doesn’t have the Broader Group — instead, Scotland has its own equivalent called the “Scottish Support Scheme” via Home Energy Scotland and local authorities. If you’re in Scotland and don’t receive Pension Credit, ask Home Energy Scotland about the Scottish equivalent when you call 0808 808 2282.

Frequently asked questions

Does Warm Home Discount pay for new windows?

No. It’s a rebate on your electricity bill, not a grant for home improvement. For windows specifically, see our ECO4 guide or the full grants comparison.

Can I get both Warm Home Discount AND ECO4?

Yes. They’re separate schemes with overlapping but distinct eligibility. Many households qualify for both. Getting Warm Home Discount is usually a positive signal for ECO4 eligibility; apply for both.

What if my energy supplier doesn’t offer Warm Home Discount?

Only larger suppliers are obliged to participate (those with over 150,000 customers). Smaller suppliers are exempt. If your supplier doesn’t participate, you could switch to one that does — check Ofgem’s list before switching to confirm eligibility transfers.

When is Warm Home Discount paid?

Payments are made between October and March each winter. Core Group recipients usually see the credit appear on their electricity bill in November-December. Broader Group recipients — after successful application — get it a few weeks after approval.

Has Warm Home Discount changed in 2026?

The amount remains £150 (unchanged since 2022). Eligibility criteria in the Broader Group were tightened in 2022-2023 to focus on high-energy-cost households — if you were previously eligible and stopped receiving it, your energy supplier should explain why. The government has said the scheme will continue until at least 2026/27.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Warm Home Discount scheme
• Ofgem — Warm Home Discount detail
• Internal: ECO4 scheme — for glazing funding
• Internal: All UK grants compared