Npower Warm Home Discount: Application & Eligibility
The Warm Home Discount offers eligible Npower customers a £140 tax-free rebate on their winter energy bills. Read on to see if you qualify and submit your application today.
Npower is now E.ON For information on your new supplier, visit our E.ON Warm Home Discount guide.
What is the Warm Home Discount?
The Warm Home Discount is a government-run scheme to help eligible homeowners cover their winter energy bills and avoid fuel poverty. If you qualify, £140 will be deducted from your electricity or dual-fuel bills between September 2020 and March 2021.
Many suppliers participate in the scheme, including Npower, so if you're a dual fuel or electricity only customer, you're entitled to apply for it.
How can I get the Warm Home Discount with Npower?
Those eligible for the Warm Home Discount scheme fall into one of two groups, known as the core group or broader group. Let’s find out the difference between these and how it affects the way you can apply for the Warm Home Discount as an Npower customer.
Core group
You qualify as a member of the core group if you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (regardless of whether you also receive Savings Credit).
If you fall into the core group, then you will qualify for the discount if, on 5 July 2020, both of the following conditions applied:
- You were signed up with Npower or another participating energy supplier.
- Your name (or your partner’s) was on the bill.
Broader Group
You may still qualify as part of the broader group if you do not get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, but all three of the following apply:
- You receive your electricity supply from Npower or another participating energy supplier.
- You’re on a low income.
- You receive certain means-tested benefits, outlined below.
Npower's Warm Home Discount qualifying criteria have changed for 2020/21Npower’s eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount have been updated for 2020/2021 Warm Home Discount, so you may still qualify, even if you haven’t in previous years.
Broader group qualifying criteria
Npower sets out an extensive list of qualifying criteria for those on means-tested benefits.
You are eligible for the Npower Warm Home Discount if:
- You were not receiving the Guarantee element of Pension Credit on 5 July 2020 and either:
- You were born on or before 31 March 1955 and receive Council Tax Reduction for low income.
- You receive the Savings element of Pension Credit only.
- You receive Child Tax Credit or its Universal Credit equivalent and your total annual household income is £16,190 or less (excluding Working Tax Credit).
- You receive Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) with any of the following:
- Disability or pensioner premium.
- Disabled child premium.
- Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element.
- A child under the age of 5 living with you.
- Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
- Maternity Exemption Certificate (MATEX) or Medical Exemption Certificate (MEDEX).
- You receive Working Tax credit with a relevant income of £16,190 or less and one of the following:
- Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment or disability element.
- Maternity Exemption Certificate (MATEX) or Medical Exemption Certificate (MEDEX).
- You receive Universal Credit with monthly net earnings of no more than £1,349 with either of the following:
- Limited capability for work element or Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment.
- A child element (with or without the disabled child element).
- You receive Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
You will be asked to confirm that the information you have provided is factually correct and give consent for Npower to ask the DWP to confirm whether you receive a qualifying benefit.
How do I apply for the Npower Warm Home Discount?
Applications for the 2020/2021 Npower Warm Home Discount are now open. We advise you to get your application in as soon as possible, as rebate numbers are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you fall into the core group, you don’t need to contact Npower. You will receive a letter in the post from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) between October and December 2020 confirming that you automatically qualify for the rebate, along with any further steps you may need to take.
If you believe you're eligible as part of the core group but do not receive a letter from the DWP, you should contact the Warm Home Discount team directly on 0345 603 9439.
If you are part of the broader group, you will need to contact Npower directly to apply. Once Npower has confirmed that you qualify, it will apply the discount of £140 to your bill by 31 March 2021.
When and how will the Warm Home Discount payment be made?
Yes. If you have a credit meter, the payment will show up on your statement as a £140 reduction on your electricity bill by 31 March 2021.
If you have a prepayment meter, Npower will send you a letter that you can take to the Post Office and exchange for a top-up voucher worth £140. You can use this voucher to top up your prepayment meter. To find out how you can do this, see our Prepayment Meter guide.
Having trouble paying your winter energy bills this year?You're not alone. As well as the Warm Home Discount, you may qualify for several other energy grants and schemes, from the Cold Weather Payment to the Energy Company Obligation. Find out more by visiting Energy Schemes.
Can I switch supplier before the discount is applied?
If you qualify for the core group, you will still receive the Warm Home Discount if you switch to another supplier that participates in the scheme before it is due to be credited to your account.
If you fall into the broader group, switching supplier before it's due to be applied to your account could lead to your application being cancelled and you may not receive your rebate.
If you decide to switch from Npower to another supplier after the rebate has been applied to your account, you'll still get the £140 deducted from your bills, even if your new supplier isn't a participant in the scheme.