Government help with gas and electricity bills

Cost of living support with the rising cost of energy bills

Warm Home Discount Scheme

England, Wales, and Scotland

The Warm Home Discount Scheme reopens in October 2024.

You could get £150 off your electricity bill.

You qualify if you:

• Get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
• Are on a low income

And either:

• Have high energy costs (England and Wales)
• Fit your suppliers’ criteria (Scotland)

Speak to your supplier if you are on a pre-pay meter.

Find out more about the Warm Home Discount Scheme at GOV.UK.

Cold Weather Payment

England and Wales

You will get cold weather payments if you receive any of the following:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Universal Credit
• Support for Mortgage Interest

Payments are made when local temperatures are zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.

Payments are automatically added to your benefits. You will get £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.

Find out more about Cold Weather Payments at GOV.UK.

Winter Heating Payment

Scotland only

Winter Heating Payment (WHP) has replaced the Cold Weather Payment in Scotland.

WHP is available to available to people receiving the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support for Mortgage Interest

Winter Heating Payment an annual payment and not based on temperature levels. It is paid no matter what the weather is like to people who receive any of the benefits mentioned above.

In addition to the Winter Heating Payment, Child Winter Heating Payment (CWHP) is available to families of disabled children and young people. Payments are made on an individual basis, so you will get an extra payment for each eligible child.

Find out more on the Scottish government website.

Winter Fuel Payment

England, Wales and Scotland*

Winter fuel payments used to go to anyone of pension age. The rules have now changed.

In 2024/25 you can get the Winter Fuel Payment if:

• You were born before 23rd September 1958
• You live in England and Wales

You must be receiving one of these benefits:

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support

People aged 66 - 79 will get £200 per household. That amount rises to £300 for people aged 80 or over.

If nothing happens but you think you are eligible:

• Check if you need to make a claim
• Find out what to do if you are not paid

Find out more and how to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment at GOV.UK.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)

England and Wales

This grant helps cover the cost of replacing a fossil fuel heating system.

You could get:

• £5,000 towards an air source heat pump
• £6,000 towards a ground source heat pump including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops
• £5,000 towards a biomass boiler

You cannot:

• Get more than one grant per property
• Get a grant for a combination heat pump system (like a of gas boiler and air source heat pump)

Find out more and check if you are eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Home Energy Scotland grant and loan

Scotland only

Homeowners in Scotland can apply for grants and loans up to £15,000.

You could get:

• Up to £7,500 for energy efficiency improvements, like insulation
• Up to £7,500 for clean heating systems, like heat pumps

The amount you get depends on what improvements you want to make, and you do not have to pay it back.

Find out more on the Scottish Government website.

Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme

Scotland only

With the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, you could get funding for:

• Wall insulation
• Loft insulation
• Draught-proofing
• Central heating (new gas boilers or air source heat pumps)
• Renewables

The Scottish government will usually meet all the costs, but you can apply for an interest-free loan if you need to pay some of the costs yourself.

You can apply if:

• You are a homeowner or private rental tenant
• You meet both household and home requirements
• You have lived in your home for at least six months, unless you are terminally ill
• You have not been supported by Warmer Homes Scotland since October 2023

Find out more on the Scottish government website.

The Household Support Fund

England, Wales, and Scotland

The government announced in September 2024 that the Household Support Fund is extending for another six months.

The fund helps households pay for basics like food and energy bills.

To find out more and apply, contact your local council.

These one-off payments do not affect your debt solution. Use the money to help pay priority debts and bills.

Which government help schemes have ended in 2024?

The following government help schemes are confirmed to be no longer available in winter 2024:

• Energy Price Guarantee
• £900 one-off Cost of Living Payment for those on means-tested benefits
• Pensioner Cost of Living Payment
• £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment

I am struggling with my gas and electricity bills. Can you help?

Get free debt advice online if you are struggling to manage your bills.