150

Rebate amount

One-off, per winter

Auto

In England

No application needed

31 Mar

Scheme deadline

Payments land before this date

0345 603 9439

WHD helpline

British Gas team

What is the Warm Home Discount?

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a government-mandated scheme introduced in April 2011 to tackle fuel poverty. Large energy suppliers are required to credit eligible households £150 off their electricity bill each winter; smaller suppliers can opt in voluntarily. British Gas, as the largest UK domestic supplier, has been a mandatory participant since the scheme launched.

The rebate is paid in different ways depending on how you settle your bill:

  • Direct debit or quarterly billing: £150 credited directly to your British Gas account ;
  • Smart prepayment meter: £150 credited automatically to the meter ;
  • Traditional key/card prepayment meter: a £150 Post Office voucher sent by post.
The Warm Home Discount sits alongside (not instead of) other winter schemes. Eligible households can also receive the Cold Weather Payment (£25 per qualifying cold snap), the Winter Fuel Payment (now means-tested to Pension Credit recipients in England and Wales) and bill credits from the British Gas Energy Trust.

Eligibility for 2025/2026

The rules diverged after the 2022 reform. The two-card overview:

England

Automatic

Fully automated “low-income, high-cost-to-heat” model. The DWP and Ofgem identify eligible households by cross-matching benefit data with property characteristics. No application form. Letters arrive Oct-Dec.

Scotland & Wales

Apply

Older two-group structure. Core Group (Guarantee Credit Pension Credit) is automatic. Broader Group (other benefits + low income) must apply through British Gas - cash-limited, first-come.

In England

You qualify automatically if all the following apply on the “qualifying date” (usually a date in early August before each scheme winter):

  • You receive one of these means-tested benefits:
    • Pension Credit (Guarantee or Savings element) ;
    • Income Support ;
    • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance ;
    • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance ;
    • Universal Credit (with limited capability for work, disabled child or carer element, or qualifying earnings) ;
    • Housing Benefit ;
    • Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit (subject to income limits).
  • Your property is rated as having high heating costs by the DWP based on its Energy Performance Certificate, floor area, age and main fuel ;
  • British Gas is your electricity supplier on the qualifying date.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) cross-matches benefit data with property characteristics and notifies British Gas directly. If you qualify, you receive a confirmation letter from the DWP between October and December. No action is needed; the rebate lands automatically before 31 March.

In Scotland and Wales

Scotland and Wales kept the two-group system reformed in 2022:

  • Core Group: you (or your partner) receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit on the qualifying date. The DWP identifies you automatically and writes to you between October and December - no application.
  • Broader Group: you receive one of the means-tested benefits listed above and meet British Gas's published criteria for the year. You must apply on the British Gas website - applications open in October and close as soon as the limited fund is committed.

How to apply

England: no application form

Since the 2022 reform, the WHD scheme in England is fully automatic. You do not need to contact British Gas. Watch the post for a DWP letter between October and December. The letter:

  • Confirms you qualify automatically (reference starts with M) - no action ;
  • Or asks you to confirm your supplier details to the DWP (reference starts with U) - call the number on the letter ;
  • Or tells you that you don't qualify and explains why - you can challenge the decision via gov.uk.

Scotland and Wales: Broader Group application

  1. Open the British Gas Warm Home Discount page on britishgas.co.uk from October ;
  2. Sign in or create an account with your British Gas customer reference number ;
  3. Enter your means-tested benefit award details and the date the award started ;
  4. Upload supporting documents (DWP award letter, recent bank statement, recent payslip) ;
  5. Submit and wait for an outcome letter or email - normally within 6 to 12 weeks.

Need to chase a missed payment, or apply by paper form? Call the British Gas WHD team on 0345 603 9439 (Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and have your customer reference number to hand.

Park homes and houseboats

If you live in a mobile or park home - where the energy supply is sometimes registered to the site owner rather than to you - the WHD is handled through a separate scheme, the Park Homes Warm Home Discount, administered by Charis Grants. Apply directly on parkhomeswhd.com.

When will the £150 land?

From data match to last possible payment date - here is the 2025/2026 timeline at a glance:

Aug

DWP data match

The DWP cross-matches benefit data with property characteristics against the qualifying-date snapshot (early August).

Oct-Dec

Eligibility letters

DWP sends letters to eligible households (M or U reference). British Gas opens Broader Group applications in Scotland and Wales.

Jan-Feb

Bulk payments

£150 credited to direct-debit and quarterly-billing accounts ; prepayment vouchers posted out by Royal Mail.

31 Mar

Scheme deadline

All scheme payments must reach customers by this date. Call 0345 603 9439 if yours has not arrived.

If you have not received your rebate by 31 March and your DWP letter said you would, call 0345 603 9439 immediately - the supplier needs to investigate before the scheme closes for the year.

Other British Gas and government schemes for vulnerable households

Other UK winter and fuel-poverty schemes alongside the Warm Home Discount
SchemeHow it works
Cold Weather PaymentDWP credits £25 for every seven consecutive days when local temperatures average freezing or below, between 1 November and 31 March. Automatic for people receiving qualifying benefits.
Winter Fuel PaymentAnnual tax-free payment of £100-£300 for pensioners. Since autumn 2024 it is means-tested in England and Wales - normally only paid to those receiving Pension Credit. Scotland operates its own equivalent (Pension Age Winter Heating Payment).
British Gas Energy TrustIndependent charity funded by British Gas. Grants of up to £1,500 to clear energy debts for low-income households - open to customers of any supplier.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)Mandates large suppliers to fund insulation, heating upgrades and energy-efficiency measures for fuel-poor households. ECO4 runs to 2026; ECO+ (Great British Insulation Scheme) extends the programme.
Priority Services RegisterFree supplier service for vulnerable customers: Braille / large-print bills, advance notice of planned outages, password protection on doorstep visits. Apply through British Gas at any time.
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)Pays households with solar PV, wind or small hydro for exported electricity. Replaced the closed Feed-in Tariff in January 2020 - rates vary by supplier, and you can switch SEG supplier independently of who you buy electricity from.

What happens if I switch supplier mid-winter?

Core Group customers (Scotland and Wales) and automatically identified England customers keep the rebate even after switching, as long as British Gas was your electricity supplier on the qualifying date (usually a date in early August). The discount stays with British Gas - it does not transfer to your new supplier.

Broader Group applicants can lose the rebate if they switch supplier before the WHD has been credited or voucher issued, and the new supplier is not in the scheme or has already closed its application window. If you are mid-application, complete the WHD payment first and switch afterwards.

If your supplier goes bust and you are transferred to a new supplier through Ofgem's Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) scheme, you may need to re-apply for any pending Broader Group WHD application. Eligible Core Group payments are honoured by the SoLR supplier.

British Gas Warm Home Discount - frequently asked questions

A one-off £150 rebate on your winter electricity bill, paid by 31 March. Smart prepayment meters are credited automatically ; traditional key/card meters receive a £150 Post Office voucher by post.

In England, no - the scheme is fully automatic. The DWP identifies eligible households and writes to you. In Scotland and Wales, Core Group recipients (Guarantee Credit Pension Credit) are paid automatically, but Broader Group applicants must apply through British Gas, normally between October and January.

You should receive a letter from the DWP between October and December. The letter's reference number tells you what happens next: M = automatic, no action ; U = call to confirm supplier details. If you have not heard by mid-December and think you qualify, call 0345 603 9439.

Yes. Eligibility is based on benefits and property characteristics, not on the tariff you are on. Fixed, variable, prepayment and dual-fuel customers all qualify equally provided British Gas is your electricity supplier on the qualifying date.

For traditional prepayment meters British Gas posts a £150 Post Office voucher. For smart meters in prepayment mode the £150 is credited directly to the meter. Smart prepay top-up apps will show the credit within a few days of issue.

No - the rebate is limited to one award per household per scheme year. If two people in the same household qualify separately, only one rebate is paid.

Yes. Core Group and automatically identified England customers receive the £150 from British Gas even after they switch, as long as British Gas was the electricity supplier on the qualifying date. Broader Group applicants who switch before the rebate is paid may forfeit it - finish the application first.

Yes. The rebate was £140 from 2011 to 2021 and was uplifted to £150 from the 2022/23 scheme onwards. It has remained at £150 for each subsequent winter.

Ask British Gas for a written explanation, then complain to its dedicated complaints team. If unresolved after eight weeks or you receive a deadlock letter, escalate free of charge to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman cannot overrule DWP eligibility but can investigate how British Gas applied the scheme rules.

Missing your £150 rebate?

Speak to the British Gas Warm Home Discount team or check other help routes.

Call 0345 603 9439 See debt grants

Further reading on British Gas and fuel-poverty schemes

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