What is the Warm Home Discount Scheme?

England & Wales

In England & Wales, the scheme is divided into Core Group 1 and Core Group 2.

If you or your partner receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well) you could qualify under Core Group 1.

If your household is identified as having high energy costs, and you receive certain means-tested benefits or Tax Credits, you could qualify under Core Group 2. The means-tested benefits and Tax Credits are:

-       Income related Employment and Support Allowance

-       Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance

-       Income Support

-       Housing Benefit

-       Universal Credit*

-       Child Tax Credits**

-       Working Tax Credits**

-       Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC)***

*Households in receipt of Universal Credit must be below a monthly household income threshold of £1,665.

**Households in receipt of these Tax Credits must be below an annual household income threshold of £19,978.

***If you are in receipt of both Pension Credit Savings Credit (PCSC) and the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you should be eligible for a rebate under Core Group. A household cannot receive a rebate under both Core Groups.

Scotland

In Scotland, the scheme is divided into Core Group 1 and Broader Group.

If you or your partner receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well) you could qualify under Core Group 1.

If you don’t qualify this way, you may still be eligible through Broader Group if you or your partner meet certain criteria. Please see our eligibility criteria below. If you believe you or your partner match any of these criteria, you’ll need to apply for the payment.

If you live in England or Wales and you qualify through Core Group 1 or 2, or if you live in Scotland and qualify through Core Group 1 you do not need to apply. Instead, you should receive a letter from the Department for Work & Pensions or the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero. This letter will either confirm that you qualify or ask you to provide further information about your eligibility.

To receive your payment through ScottishPower, you must have been receiving a qualifying benefit and have been a ScottishPower customer on the qualifying date of 11th August 2024.

If you believe that yourself or your partner meet the criteria to qualify through a core group but have not received a letter from the Government by January 2025, please contact the government’s Warm Home Discount Scheme Helpline which is due to reopen in October 2024.

If you were with another supplier on the qualifying date of 11th August 2024, your payment will be made by your previous supplier.

Broader Group (Scotland)

If you believe you or your partner are eligible for the payment through Broader Group (Scotland), you’ll have to submit an application. You’ll need to hold a ScottishPower electricity account at a home in Scotland at the time of making the application, and at the time of receiving the payment.

We review all applications once the application window has closed. Please bear with us while we process all the applications. There is a limit to the funding we have available, and we try to make as many payments to eligible customers as the funding allows.

Important information for customers applying through Broader Group (Scotland)

When verifying eligibility for the Warm Home Discount Scheme:

·      We may share the information contained in your application with the Department for Work and Pensions to confirm your eligibility for the benefit.

·      We, or a company working on ScottishPower’s behalf (Charis Grants) may contact you by letter asking for evidence of the benefits you receive. If you don’t provide the evidence within the timescales requested, the payment will not be made.

If any of the details submitted on your broader group application change, including your account number, you must let us know as soon as possible as you may no longer be eligible for the discount.

If you change energy supplier between the date of your broader group application and the payment being made, you will no longer be eligible for the payment under our Warm Home Discount Scheme. You will need to apply through your new energy provider. Please note that eligibility criteria may differ between energy providers.

This year the payment will be £150. This includes VAT, so the payment will show on your bill as a credit amount of £142.85 before VAT is applied. The payment will be added as credit to your electricity account. If you have a prepayment meter, you’ll receive a bar coded voucher which you can use to redeem your credit. And for our customers with smart prepayment meters, your payment will be made directly to your meter. If you’re eligible for the rebate, your payment will normally be made before the 31st March 2025.