Millions of households could get extra help with their energy bills this winter, with several key Government support schemes offering payments and discounts worth hundreds of pounds.
As temperatures begin to fall, households could benefit from a new £100 energy payment announced by Chancellor John Healey, alongside the Winter Fuel Payment, Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments.
The £100 payment is intended to help households with soaring energy bills, while the other schemes offer targeted support to pensioners and people receiving certain benefits.
The support ranges from a £25 payment when freezing weather hits to a £150 reduction in electricity bills and a Winter Fuel Payment worth up to £300.
But not everyone will qualify for every scheme. The rules depend on your age, benefits, income and where you live, while Cold Weather Payments are only triggered when temperatures remain at freezing or below for seven consecutive days.
Some households could receive more than one form of help, with eligible pensioners potentially receiving the £100 payment, Winter Fuel Payment and Warm Home Discount alongside any Cold Weather Payments they qualify for.
Theoretically, someone could qualify for all of them - but they'd need to be over 80, in receipt of certain means-tested benefits and live in a house in a council tax band A-E in postcodes that drop below zero for seven days at a time.
But many people will qualify for one or more.
Here is what each scheme offers, who can get it and when the money will arrive.
1. £100 energy payment for households
Millions of households in council tax bands A-D are set to receive a £100 payment to help with energy bills under measures announced by Chancellor John Healey.
The payment is part of the Government's response to the economic impact of the Iran war and rising household costs.
Healey said the Government was seeking to give households and businesses "breathing space" as the UK faced higher borrowing costs and weaker economic growth.
The payment is intended to help households with their energy bills, but further details about how it will be delivered, when it will arrive and whether any households will be excluded should be checked against the final scheme rules.
2. Winter Fuel Payment - up to £300
Pensioners born on or before June 27, 1960, could receive between £100 and £300 through the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27.
The amount depends on your age and household circumstances during the qualifying week in September.
Most eligible people will receive the payment automatically, with the money expected to arrive in November or December.
You should receive a letter explaining how much you are due and which bank account it will be paid into. This is usually the same account used for your State Pension or other benefits.
However, there is an important income rule.
If your individual income is more than £35,000, HMRC will recover the payment. This applies to each person's income, rather than the combined income of a couple.
The money is usually recovered through your tax code or Self Assessment arrangements.
People who do not receive their payment by January 27, 2027, should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Scotland has a separate Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead of the Winter Fuel Payment.
3. Warm Home Discount - £150 off electricity bills
Low-income households could also get £150 knocked off their electricity bill through the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Unlike the Winter Fuel Payment, this is not paid into a bank account. Instead, participating energy suppliers apply the discount directly to eligible customers' electricity bills.
In England and Wales, you may qualify if all three of the following applied on August 23, 2026:
- Your electricity supplier is part of the scheme.
- You or your partner receive a qualifying means-tested benefit.
- Your name or your partner's name is on the electricity bill.
The qualifying benefits are Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
This is known as being in the scheme's 'core group'.
Being on one of these benefits does not automatically guarantee the discount. You must also meet the other conditions.
Eligible households should receive a letter between late October 2026 and early January 2027. If you qualify automatically, your supplier should apply the £150 discount by March 31, 2027.
Some people may be asked to provide further information. If this applies to you, you must contact the Warm Home Discount helpline by February 26, 2027.
People with prepayment electricity meters can also qualify. The discount may be provided through a top-up voucher, so check with your supplier how you will receive it.
In Scotland, the eligibility arrangements are different and some households may need to apply through their energy supplier. The scheme is not available in Northern Ireland.
4. Cold Weather Payment - £25 for each week when temperatures plunge, up to £500 across 20 weeks
People receiving certain benefits could get an extra £25 whenever freezing weather triggers a Cold Weather Payment in their area.
The scheme runs from November 1, 2026, until March 31, 2027.
A payment is triggered when the average temperature in an eligible area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days.
There is no limit to the number of qualifying periods a household can receive payments for, meaning some people could get more than one £25 payment during the winter - there are around 20 weeks in the qualifying period - in the unlikely event that temperatures are below zero all week every week, that would add up to £500.
Recommended reading:
- M&S Christmas advert 2026 - 15 products from the ad you can buy now
- From £2.50 to £129 - the best food and drink advent calendars for Christmas 2026
- Workers over 21 given £910 cash boost confirms Andy Burnham
The money is paid automatically, usually within 14 working days of a qualifying cold spell.
The main qualifying benefits are Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Support for Mortgage Interest. Additional conditions apply, particularly for Universal Credit, ESA and SMI claimants.
Cold Weather Payments are not available in Scotland. People there may instead qualify for the separate Winter Heating Payment.
Share