150

Rebate amount

One-off, per winter

Auto

In England

No application needed

31 Mar

Scheme deadline

All payments land before this

0333 200 5100

EDF WHD helpline

Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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 must credit £150 off the winter electricity bill of every eligible household ; smaller suppliers can opt in voluntarily. As one of the Big Six, EDF Energy has been a mandatory participant since the scheme launched.

The rebate is delivered differently depending on how you pay your bill:

  • Direct debit or quarterly billing: £150 credited directly to your EDF account ;
  • Smart prepayment meter: £150 credited automatically to the meter ;
  • Traditional key/card prepayment meter: a £150 voucher sent by post, redeemable at a Post Office or PayPoint.
The Warm Home Discount sits alongside (not instead of) other winter schemes. Eligible households may also receive the Cold Weather Payment (£25 per qualifying cold snap), the Winter Fuel Payment (means-tested to Pension Credit recipients in England and Wales since autumn 2024) and assistance from the EDF Energy Customer Support Fund.

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 cross-matches benefit data with property characteristics and notifies EDF directly. No application form. Confirmation letter arrives Oct-Dec.

Scotland & Wales

Apply

Two-group structure. Core Group (Guarantee Credit Pension Credit) is automatic. Broader Group (other benefits + low income) must apply through EDF - 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):

  • EDF Energy is your electricity supplier on the qualifying date ;
  • 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.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) cross-matches benefit data with property characteristics and notifies EDF directly. If you qualify, you receive a confirmation letter from the DWP between October and December. The rebate lands automatically before 31 March.

In Scotland and Wales

Scotland and Wales retain the two-group system:

  • 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 EDF's published criteria for the year (formerly “Support Plus”). You must apply on the EDF Energy 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 EDF. 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 the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 731 0214 ;
  • 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 with EDF

  1. Open the Warm Home Discount page on edfenergy.com from October ;
  2. Sign in to MyAccount or create one ;
  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 EDF Energy on 0333 200 5100 (Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. to 2 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 may be registered to the site owner - 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.

Oct-Dec

Eligibility letters

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

Jan-Feb

Bulk payments

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

31 Mar

Scheme deadline

All scheme payments must reach customers by this date. Call EDF on 0333 200 5100 if yours has not arrived.

If you have not received your rebate by 31 March and your DWP letter said you would, call EDF Energy on 0333 200 5100 immediately - the supplier needs to investigate before the scheme closes for the year. You can also contact EDF Energy via live chat or MyAccount.

Other UK 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. Means-tested in England and Wales since autumn 2024 - typically only paid to those receiving Pension Credit. Scotland operates its own equivalent (Pension Age Winter Heating Payment).
EDF Energy Customer Support FundSuccessor to the EDF Energy Trust. Grants to clear EDF energy debt for vulnerable customers ; also funds essential white goods.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)Mandates large suppliers (EDF included) 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.
EDF Priority Services RegisterFree supplier service for vulnerable customers: Braille / large-print bills, advance notice of planned outages, password protection on doorstep visits. Apply through EDF MyAccount.
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 EDF offers an SEG tariff.

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 EDF Energy was your electricity supplier on the qualifying date (usually a date in early August). The discount stays with EDF - 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 either 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.

EDF 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 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 EDF, 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 EDF on 0333 200 5100 or the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 731 0214.

Bulk payments to direct-debit and quarterly-billing accounts are made between January and February. Prepayment vouchers are posted in the same window. All scheme payments must reach customers by 31 March. If yours hasn't arrived by mid-April, call EDF.

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

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 EDF even after they switch, as long as EDF 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.

Only if EDF was your electricity supplier on the qualifying date (early August). If your previous supplier participated in the scheme, the rebate is paid by them and they should have passed your details to EDF for the credit. Otherwise you would be eligible for the next scheme year.

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

Ask EDF for a written explanation, then complain via EDF's dedicated complaints process. 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 EDF applied the scheme rules.

Missing your £150 rebate?

Speak to EDF or check the Customer Support Fund as a backup route.

Call 0333 200 5100 See debt grants

Further reading on EDF and fuel-poverty schemes

The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.