MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Six million UK household will access the £150 Warm Home Discount; register names in energy bills

Six million of British households are set to save £150 on energy bills this winter, as government urges eligible households to check they are named on their bill to get the Warm Home Discount automatically. Every household where the bill payer is on means-tested benefits is in line for the rebate, following the expansion of the scheme last year.

This meant nearly a million additional families with children received extra support with the cost-of-living last winter, with around six million households across Britain eligible for the discount.

In England and Wales, households in receipt of Housing Benefit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Universal Credit will be eligible – the same cohort as last winter.

This follows the immediate action taken by the Prime Minister to remove VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October, as one of his first decisions in office, saving £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said that “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.

“Almost a million more families with children received the £150 Warm Home Discount last winter, after we expanded scheme. The government is issuing a call to eligible households to check they are named on their electricity bill, with suppliers set to rely on customers’ records as of Sunday 23 August.

Earlier this year the government confirmed that millions of eligible households will receive the Warm Home Discount for the rest of the decade, with the scheme set to continue through to 2030/1.

Last year’s Budget has taken an average £150 of costs off energy bills, which is factored into bills for the years to come. The Warm Homes Plan will also reduce energy use, lower bills for millions of households and help lift households out of fuel poverty.