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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
12 min read
Written by
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Published on
December 10, 2025
Last reviewed: 29 September 2026
Applies to: England, Wales, and Scotland (Scheme rules differ in Northern Ireland)
Written by: Georgina Colman, Founder of Purpl
Warm Home Discount letters for households in the automatic Core Group are expected between November and December 2026. If you qualify, you could receive £150 off your energy bill, usually without needing to apply. The qualifying date for the 2026/27 scheme was 23 August 2026.
If you haven’t received a letter yet, don’t worry. At the end of September, it is still too early to expect one.
The rules have also changed for 2026/27. England and Wales now use one Core Group instead of the previous Core Group 1 and Core Group 2 system, while Scotland has expanded the number of households that can qualify automatically.
For disabled people and people living with long term health conditions, £150 will not solve the problem of higher winter energy costs. Heating may be essential for managing pain, fatigue, circulation or temperature regulation, while electricity may also be needed for medical equipment, powered beds, mobility equipment and other disability-related needs.
This guide explains who qualifies, when letters should arrive, whether you need to apply and what to do if you think you’ve been missed.
The Warm Home Discount is a £150 one-off reduction on an eligible household’s energy bill during winter 2026/27. It is normally credited directly to your energy account rather than paid into your bank account.
The scheme operates in England, Wales and Scotland, although the Scottish eligibility rules are different. It does not operate in Northern Ireland.
If you’re eligible, your energy supplier normally applies the discount to your account. You may also be able to have the discount applied to your gas account if the same supplier provides both your gas and electricity.
The official Warm Home Discount guidance also confirms that receiving the £150 does not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment. You can check the government overview of the scheme here: GOV.UK Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Purpl Insight: £150 can make a difference, but for someone who needs their home warmer because of a disability or health condition, it may only cover a small proportion of the additional energy they use over winter.
To qualify for the Warm Home Discount 2026/27, your eligibility is generally based on where you live, the benefits you received, your electricity supplier and whose name was on the electricity account on 23 August 2026.
The first thing to check is where you live, because Scotland has different rules from England and Wales.
| Where you live | Circumstances | How you get the £150 |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | You meet the Core Group benefit, supplier and electricity account rules | Usually automatic |
| Scotland | You meet the Core Group rules | Automatic |
| Scotland | You meet your supplier’s Broader Group criteria | You need to apply to your supplier |
| Northern Ireland | Warm Home Discount does not operate in Northern Ireland | Check Northern Ireland-specific energy support |
One of the biggest changes for 2026/27 is in England and Wales. Core Group 1 and Core Group 2 have now been merged into one Core Group. The change is confirmed in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s 2026/27 eligibility statement: Warm Home Discount eligibility statement 2026/27.For England and Wales, the old Core Group 1 and Core Group 2 have been merged into a single Core Group for 2026/27.
Purpl Tip: Don’t assume this year’s rules are identical to last winter. Check your eligibility again, particularly if you live in Scotland or your benefits, supplier or electricity account details have changed.ligibility.
In England and Wales, most eligible households receive the £150 Warm Home Discount automatically if they met the Core Group benefit, supplier and electricity account conditions on 23 August 2026.
You may qualify if all of the following applied on the qualifying date:
For 2026/27, the qualifying benefits listed by the government are:
The government matches benefit records with electricity account information so that the majority of eligible households receive their discount automatically without making a separate application.
You can check the current England and Wales eligibility rules here: GOV.UK Warm Home Discount eligibility for England and Wales.
PIP, DLA or Attendance Allowance alone do not automatically qualify you for the Warm Home Discount in England or Wales. You may still qualify if you also receive one of the qualifying means-tested benefits.
This is an important distinction. Warm Home Discount eligibility in England and Wales is based on qualifying low-income benefits and your electricity account circumstances, rather than simply whether somebody receives a disability benefit.
Purpl Insight: Being disabled does not automatically qualify you for the £150, even if your disability substantially increases your energy use. Always check whether you or your partner also receive one of the qualifying means-tested benefits.
In Scotland, some households receive the £150 Warm Home Discount automatically through the Core Group, while other low-income households can apply through their energy supplier’s Broader Group.
Scotland has changed its scheme for 2026/27 and expanded the automatic Core Group.
Core Group eligibility can include households receiving:
The exact conditions vary depending on the benefit, so it is important not to assume that receiving one of these automatically guarantees eligibility.
The government’s response on extending the Warm Home Discount confirms that the Scottish Core Group is now wider and uses automatic data matching for most eligible households. Read the 2026 Warm Home Discount changes.
The Scottish Broader Group provides another route to the Warm Home Discount for eligible households that are not part of the automatic Core Group, but you need to apply directly to your energy supplier.
Each participating supplier operates its own Broader Group application process and may apply additional eligibility criteria.
Ofgem confirms that Scotland continues to operate both a Core Group and a Broader Group, while England and Wales use the Core Group system. Ofgem Warm Home Discount eligibility guidance.
Purpl Tip: If you’re in Scotland and don’t qualify automatically, check your supplier’s Warm Home Discount page rather than assuming you cannot get the £150. Broader Group support requires an application.
Warm Home Discount letters for automatic Core Group households are expected between November and December 2026.
So if you’re reading this in September or October and haven’t received anything, you haven’t necessarily been missed.
Your letter should tell you whether your eligibility has been confirmed or whether further information is needed before the government can confirm your discount.
Most households that can be successfully matched through government and supplier records will not need to do anything else.
Purpl Tip: Keep an eye on your post from November onwards. Don’t throw away a Warm Home Discount letter assuming it is simply an energy supplier advert, particularly if it asks you to provide more information.
If your Warm Home Discount letter confirms that you’re eligible, you normally don’t need to do anything. If it asks for more information, follow the instructions in the letter so your eligibility can be checked.
You should not normally need to make a separate application.
The participating electricity supplier you were with on the qualifying date should arrange your £150 discount.
Don’t ignore it.
Sometimes the government’s data matching cannot connect a qualifying benefit record to an eligible electricity account.
You may therefore need to provide information confirming details such as:
Purpl Tip: Deal with an action-needed letter as soon as you can. Keep the letter somewhere safe because it may contain information you’ll need when contacting the Warm Home Discount team.
If you believe you qualify automatically but haven’t received a Warm Home Discount letter after the November to December letter period, check your benefit and electricity account information and contact the Warm Home Discount team if necessary.
Before contacting them, check:
You can also check whether your supplier participates in the 2026/27 scheme. The government’s current participating supplier list includes major providers such as British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next, Octopus Energy, OVO, ScottishPower, Utilita and Utility Warehouse. Check participating Warm Home Discount suppliers.
If you’re in Scotland and think you could qualify through the Broader Group rather than the automatic Core Group, contact your supplier about its application process.
Purpl Insight: A missing letter doesn’t automatically mean you’re not eligible. Data matching can sometimes require extra information, particularly where account or address details do not match.
Yes. You can still receive the £150 Warm Home Discount if you use a prepayment or pay-as-you-go electricity meter and meet the eligibility rules.
How you receive it can vary by supplier.
For example, your supplier could:
Government guidance specifically confirms that prepayment and pay-as-you-go customers can qualify and advises customers to ask their supplier how the discount will be provided.
If you’re sent a voucher, check how and where you need to redeem it and don’t leave it unopened.
Purpl Tip: Make sure your energy supplier has your current phone number, email address and postal address. This is particularly important if your discount will be provided through a voucher or other direct communication.
The Warm Home Discount can help towards higher winter energy costs, but £150 may cover only a small part of the extra energy some disabled households need.
For many disabled people, higher energy use isn’t optional.
You may need:
There may be other help available too. Our Disability utility support 2026 guide covers the Warm Home Discount alongside energy grants, WaterSure, broadband social tariffs and other support for essential household bills. Read Purpl’s disability utility support guide.
Purpl Insight: Don’t look at the Warm Home Discount in isolation. If disability increases your essential household costs, checking energy, water, broadband and other support together could make a much bigger difference.
Purpl members can access energy and home utility offers that may help reduce household costs alongside government support such as the Warm Home Discount.
The £150 Warm Home Discount is valuable if you qualify, but it is only one way to reduce the pressure of household bills.
Purpl brings together savings for disabled people, people with long term health conditions, parents and carers across energy, broadband, mobile and other essential household services.
Depending on the offers currently available, you may find:
Offers change, so rather than listing fixed discounts here that may later become outdated, you can check the latest Purpl offers on our dedicated page:
Explore Purpl’s latest home, energy and utility savings: Home, utility savings and disability discounts
Purpl Tip: Look at your regular household spending as a whole. Saving on energy, broadband, mobile and everyday essentials can add up across the year, particularly when combined with support such as the £150 Warm Home Discount.
“£150 towards an energy bill is welcome, but I think it’s important to recognise the reality behind these schemes.
For many of us living with disabilities or long term health conditions, heating isn’t something we can simply turn down when bills increase. Temperature can affect symptoms, mobility and pain, and some people also rely on electricity for equipment that supports their independence.
My advice is to check rather than assume. If you’re in England or Wales, make sure your electricity account details are correct and look out for your letter later this year. If you’re in Scotland, check whether you’re now in the expanded automatic group or whether you need to apply through your supplier.
And if you think you’ve been missed, question it. Don’t lose £150 because you assumed no letter meant no entitlement.”
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
The Warm Home Discount is £150 for winter 2026/27. It is normally credited to your energy account rather than paid into your bank account.
The qualifying date is 23 August 2026. In England and Wales, your benefit, electricity supplier and account circumstances on this date determine whether you meet the Core Group criteria.
Automatic Core Group letters are expected between November and December 2026. If you haven’t received one in September or October, that does not mean you’ve been missed.
Most eligible households in England and Wales do not need to apply. Many eligible Scottish households will also qualify automatically through the expanded Core Group, although Scotland still has a Broader Group that requires an application to your energy supplier.
PIP alone does not automatically qualify you for the Warm Home Discount in England or Wales. You may qualify if you or your partner also receive one of the qualifying means-tested benefits and meet the electricity account rules.
Scottish eligibility works differently, with additional Core Group criteria and a separate Broader Group.
Yes, Universal Credit is a qualifying benefit in England and Wales for 2026/27, provided the other Core Group conditions were also met on 23 August 2026.
Scotland applies additional conditions to some Universal Credit households, so check the Scottish rules rather than assuming Universal Credit alone guarantees the discount.
No. The Warm Home Discount does not reduce or replace your Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment.
Yes. Prepayment and pay-as-you-go customers can receive the Warm Home Discount if they meet the eligibility criteria. Your supplier will tell you how the £150 will be provided.
For the automatic Core Group, the supplier you were with on the qualifying date is important. If you’ve switched since then, check that your previous supplier still has the contact information it needs to provide your discount.
No. The Warm Home Discount Scheme operates in England, Wales and Scotland, but not Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has separate schemes for help with energy costs.
The Warm Home Discount 2026/27 gives eligible households £150 off their energy bill, with most eligible people in England and Wales receiving it automatically.
The most important things to remember are:
For disabled households, it is also worth checking what other help is available. The Warm Home Discount can sit alongside other support and savings, including the Priority Services Register, energy hardship support, WaterSure, broadband social tariffs and Purpl’s home and utility offers.
The £150 won’t remove the extra energy costs many disabled households face, but making sure you receive every bit of help you’re entitled to can make winter bills a little easier to manage.
Georgina is the Founder of Purpl, a disabled-led UK discount and support platform created to help disabled people, people with long term health conditions, parents and carers reduce the extra cost of disability.
Living with Multiple Sclerosis and ADHD herself and using an ambulatory wheelchair, Georgina understands how disability can increase everyday household costs, including heating, electricity, transport and accessible equipment.
Through Purpl, she combines lived experience with practical, evidence-led guides and verified discounts to help disabled households save money and find support they may otherwise miss.
Disability utility support 2026: Find out about energy grants, WaterSure, broadband social tariffs, the Warm Home Discount and other support that could reduce essential household costs.
What is the Priority Services Register and who can apply: The Priority Services Register is free and can provide extra support if you are disabled, have a long term health condition or may need additional help during a power cut or other supply interruption.
Energy bills could rise again: what it means for disabled households: Find practical steps you can take to protect yourself from higher energy costs without simply being told to turn the heating down.