Green Star Energy Warm Home Discount

As the temperatures drop during the coldest months of the year, your electricity consumption can skyrocket. Luckily Green Star Energy’s previous customers ican still apply for the Warm Home Discount via the new supplier. Find out how they stay cosy at home next winter without breaking the bank.

Green Star Energy is now closed! Green Network has ceased trading and is no longer operating. Energy regulator Ofgem has appointed a Shell Energy to take on its customers. Applications for the 2020/21 Warm Home Discount should be made to Shell Energy. Visit our page on Shell Energy Contact info for more details.

Green Star Energy's Warm Home Discount

The following information is not frequently updated, as Green Star Energy is now closed. For more information, please contact the new supplier Shell Energy.

To clear up any confusion, the Warm Home Discount scheme is one that is run and paid for by the govenment. Your energy supplier serves as an intermediary between your account and the government by automatically applying the discount to your bill if your application is accepted. Find out more about Green Star Energy by viewing Selectra’s guide page.

What is the Warm Home Discount?

The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme that takes £140 off of your electricity bills between October 2020 and April 2021. If you are eligible, this means that whatever you spend in electricity during that period, you’ll receive a £140 discount automatically applied to your bill.

The following is for example purposes only::

Given the example above, the warm home discount offers you around £20 savings per month over the 7 months of winter.

Why is it important?

One of the key objectives of the Warm Home Discount was to tackle fuel poverty in the UK. Households which are said to be “fuel poor” are those on a low income where high energy costs mean that much of the household’s income is spent on energy bills, leaving less for daily items and other necessities.

A solution implemented by the UK and its European cousins against fuel poverty is the Warm Home Discount scheme. It focuses on the period during the colder months of the year. This is when electricity use and wholesale energy prices are at their highest. 

Although it’s paid for by the government, you’ll need to apply via your supplier. Not all suppliers offer it, but Shell Energy-- the new supplier for Green Star Energy customers, is on the list of those suppliers that do.

Am I eligible to get the money?

Can you get the Green Star Energy Warm Home Discount? As one of their customers, you can get £140 if you satisfy the following criteria:

<>1. You receive Pension Credit, but do not receive the “Guarantee Credit” element of it and EITHER::

• You only receive the “Savings” element of Pension Credit only; OR
• You receive a reduction in Council Tax due to your low income and you were born on or before 5th January 1954.

2. You receive Child Tax Credit (or Universal Credit equivalent) and your total household income is £16,190 or less.

3. You receive income-related ESA (Employment and Support Allowance).

4. You receive IBJSA (Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance) or IS(Income Support) along with any of the following:

• <Disability premium
• DLA (Disability Living Allowance) for children under 16
• PIP (Personal Independence Payment) 
• Child Tax Credit  - which includes a disability element
• MATEX or MEDEX certificate

5.You receive WTC (Working Tax Credit) and your income is £16,190 or less and you receive EITHER:

• DLA (Disability Living Allowance) or PIP (Personal Independence Payment),OR
• A MATEX or MEDEX certificate

6. You receive UC (Universal Credit) and you receive no more than £1,349 in monthly net earnings along with either limited capability for work element or a child element.

Green Star's application process for 2020/21

Green Star Energy is now a part of Shell Energy Applications for the 2020/21 Warm Home Discount should be made to the Shell Energy Team. Shell Energy Contact details.

Just because you satisfy the eligibility criteria above, that doesn’t in itself guarantee that you will receive the Warm Home Discount. Nor are you guaranteed to get it for 2020/21 just because you were receiving it the year before. 

You must make a fresh application before a set deadline. Note also that the Green Home Energy Warm Home Discount is awarded on a “first come first served” basis. You can also make an application by logging in to your online account. If you run into any problems, contact Green Star Energy.

Stay updated on your Green Star Energy Warm Home Discount

If you satisfy the eligibility above and you’ve registered your interest, but still haven’t heard anything back, what should you do? Contact the government’s Warm Home Discount Team.  

Will I be better off if I claim the Green Star Energy Warm Home Discount?

Not necessarily: There are many factors that play into how well off one is. The £140 discount may not make much of a difference in you bills over the entire year, but it should reduce your energy bills to help out during winter time when they are normally higher. In other words, it’s guarantee to pull you out of fuel poverty nor lower your risk of falling into it, but it should help. 

It might be a good idea to look into opportunities to reduce your consumption of gas and electricity over the year, as well as taking a look around to see if there is any way to reduce your bill.

I receive the discount but still can’t pay my bills

If you have applied for and are receiving the Green Star Energy Warm Home Discount, but still struggle to pay your electricity bills, help is at hand. 

While there may be a risk of being disconnected, this is very rare. Instead, you should contact your supplier to discuss the options available to you. There are schemes designed to give financial help to those struggling to pay their bills. You can also consider contacting Citizen’s Advice for more information.