Energy Support for Disabled People and Older Adults

Warm Home Discount

The Warm Home Discount is a £150 one-off reduction applied directly to your electricity bill. It is not a cash payment — your energy supplier reduces your bill.

There are two routes to receive it:

Core Group (Automatic)

You qualify automatically and are contacted by DWP if you:

• Receive the Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Are on certain other means-tested benefits AND live in a property in a high energy cost area (identified by DWP using government data)

If you qualify, DWP contacts you automatically — you do not need to apply. Your energy supplier then applies the discount between October and March.

Broader Group (Apply with Your Supplier)

If you don't qualify automatically, you may still be able to get the discount through your energy supplier's own criteria — typically people on low incomes with high energy costs. Contact your energy supplier directly in the autumn (schemes open October/November).

Not all energy suppliers participate. Check on the government's Warm Home Discount page at gov.uk.

Winter Fuel Payment

From winter 2024/25, the Winter Fuel Payment is no longer universal for pensioners. It is now means-tested — you must receive Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits to qualify.

• Aged 66–79 and receive Pension Credit: £200
• Aged 80 or over and receive Pension Credit: £300

This is a cash payment, made automatically in November/December to those who qualify. You do not need to apply separately for the WFP — if you receive Pension Credit, you receive it automatically.

Cold Weather Payment

The Cold Weather Payment is £25 per week paid when the average temperature in your area is recorded or forecast to be 0°C or below for 7 consecutive days. Payments are made automatically — you do not apply.

To qualify, you must be receiving:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based JSA or income-related ESA (with certain criteria)
• Universal Credit (with no earnings, or limited capability for work)

Cold Weather Payments are paid into the same bank account as your benefit, within 14 working days of the cold weather period. You can check if your area has triggered a payment at gov.uk/cold-weather-payment.

Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free service offered by energy suppliers and network operators. Register if you:

• Are aged 60 or over
• Have a disability or long-term medical condition
• Have a mental health condition
• Have a hearing or visual impairment
• Use medical equipment that requires a continuous electricity supply (e.g., home oxygen, stairlifts, electric wheelchair chargers)
• Are recovering from an injury

Being on the PSR means your energy supplier must:

• Give advance notice of planned power cuts
• Prioritise your restoration if you lose supply
• Provide bills in accessible formats (large print, braille, audio)
• Offer password-protected services to prevent doorstep scams
• Send a nominee bill (e.g., to a family member or carer)

Register directly with your electricity supplier, gas supplier and local network operator — these are three separate registrations.

Home Insulation Grants

Poor insulation is a major cause of high energy bills. The government's Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) offer free or subsidised insulation for eligible homes:

• ECO4 — targets the least energy-efficient homes. Full funding for measures like loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation and heat pumps for people on qualifying benefits.
• GBIS — broader eligibility; a single insulation measure funded for properties in certain council tax bands.

To check eligibility and apply, contact your local council, your energy supplier, or visit gov.uk/great-british-insulation-scheme.

Other Energy Help

• Energy company hardship funds — most large energy suppliers have hardship funds for customers struggling with bills. Contact your supplier directly.
• Water company support tariffs — all water companies have social tariffs for low-income customers, including disabled people. Contact your water company.
• Discretionary Fund (via Local Authority) — some councils have funds to help people in fuel poverty. Ask your council.
• National Energy Action — fuel poverty charity with advice: 0800 169 2877