Warm Home Discount: Scots urged to check eligibility for £150 winter energy bill discount

Hundreds of thousands of Scottish households are being urged to check whether they could save £150 on their energy bills this winter.

Those receiving eligible means-tested benefits are being advised to ensure they are named on their electricity bill by August 23 in order to receive the Warm Home Discount automatically.

For the first time, around 345,000 Scottish households will qualify for the rebate following government reforms to the scheme, an increase of around 250,000 households.

The UK Government will also temporarily remove VAT from electricity bills from October 1 through March 2027, saving £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap.

Scottish households which receive eligible means-tested benefits are being urged to check they are named on their bill to receive the Warm Home Discount iStock

Households in line for the automatic energy bill rebate include:

Those where the resident named on the energy bill receives Pension Credit
Those where the resident named on the energy bill receives Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Support for Mortgage Interest, as long as the household also includes very young children, someone with a disability, someone with a health-related work limitation, or someone who is eligible for disability-related additions within the benefits system.

Thousands more households may also qualify for support through their energy supplier.

Around six million households across Britain are now eligible for the discount, with nearly a million additional families with children receiving the rebate last winter.

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “Families will be worried about their energy bills this winter and our focus is on giving them breathing space, as we continue to work to bring down bills.

Eligible customers on pre-payment meters will also need to ensure that their household’s account is registered in their name. Adobe Stock

“More households are eligible to receive the £150 Warm Home Discount automatically this year, after we made it easier for people in Scotland to get the support they need.

“If you know someone who might benefit, please start spreading the word and encourage them to check they are named on their energy bill.”

Customers who have recently moved home may not be listed on their electricity account and are being urged to check their details.

Households using pre-payment meters who use a key or card to top up will also need to ensure that their household’s account is registered in their name.

The change to the rules in Scotland came earlier this year, as the government confirmed that millions of eligible households will receive the Warm Home Discount for the rest of the decade.