Warm Home Discount scheme

How much is the Warm Home Discount and when is it paid?

If you qualified for the Winter 2023/2024 payment, you will have your one-off £150 discount already or by the end of March this year at the latest.

How will I receive my Warm Home Discount?

The discount will be added to your electricity account as a credit. And if you're on Pay as you go, we'll send you a voucher you can use to top up your meter at a Post Office.

If you're one of our Pay As You Go smart meter customers, we'll even send it directly to your meter as a credit and send you an email to let you know it's on there. If we can't get it directly to your meter as quickly as we'd like, we'll send you a voucher to top up from a Post Office. That way you'll still get your discount as soon as possible.

With a Pay as you go smart meter it's easier to see how much energy you use in pounds and pence and you can top up from wherever you like, whenever you like.

If you don't already have a smart meter, you can find out more and book an upgrade here.

Do I qualify for Warm Home Discount?

The eligibility requirements for the Warm Home Discount were the same as last year.

To qualify, you needed to claim either the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit or a different 'qualifying benefit.' The Government made an assessment of your energy costs based on the property you live in. You needed to be receiving these benefits and be a British Gas electricity customer on 13th August 2023.

The Government website has specific details about which benefits qualified and who could receive the discount.

In England and Wales the Government wrote to you to confirm if you were eligible.

In Scotland, if you received the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credits, the Government would have written to you and you didn't need to apply.

If you don't receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credits and live in Scotland, you would not have received a letter from the Government and needed to apply. Applications closed on 21st February this year.

Do I need to apply for the Warm Home Discount this year?

Customers in England and Wales

If you live in England or Wales and we supplied your electricity, you didn't need to apply, even if you applied in previous years. The Government decided who was eligible and wrote to you if you were. We then make the payment to you by 31st March 2024.

If you were not eligible for the scheme, unfortunately we can't help you appeal as it was all decided by the Government. Customers wishing to appeal any decisions in England and Wales will have needed to visit the Government's dedicated Warm Home Discount website.

Customers in Scotland

If we supplied your electricity in Scotland, some customers needed to apply, but others didn't.

If you receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit

The Government decided which customers receiving Pension Credits were eligible, and if you were one of them, wrote to you. Payments will be made by 31st March 2024.

If you don't receive Pension Credits but do get other qualifying benefits

Customers in Scotland who received other benefits and met the Government's criteria could have applied for a Warm Home Discount payment.

Applications closed on 21st February, so if you didn't apply before then, unfortunately you can't apply for the Winter 2023/2024 payment.

For details of the next Warm Home Discount scheme, come back to this page later in the year or visit the Government website.

Help control your energy use with smart meters

Understanding how and when you use energy and making changes around the home is an easy way to reduce your energy use and lower your bills. Smart meters will help you to understand when you’re using the most energy and which appliances are contributing the most to your usage. Your smart energy monitor (in home display) will show you how much you’re using and when.