Millions of Warm Home Discount letters being sent – how to tell if yours is genuine

Who will get a letter?

How it works and who will receive a letter about the Warm Home Discount varies depending on where you live in the UK. Our Warm Home Discount guide has the full info, but in brief:

England and Wales

1. You're eligible for the Warm Home Discount if…

• You were named on your electricity account or bill on 23 August 2026 (the qualifying date for the payment);
  
  AND
  

• You were getting one of the following means-tested benefits on the same date:
  - Housing Benefit
  - Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  - Pension Credit
  - Universal Credit.

2. You'll get a letter if…

• The Government has been able to confirm you're eligible without further checks – this will be the case for most people getting the discount. In these cases, you'll get the discount automatically without having to respond to the letter.
  
  OR
  

• You've been flagged as 'potentially eligible' but need to provide more information. In this case, your letter will ask you to call a helpline to provide this information – see more on this below.

You should have received, or will receive, one of these letters between October and early January 2027. If you think you might be eligible but haven't got your letter by early January, you'll need to contact the Government's helpline on 0800 030 9322.

Scotland

1. You're automatically eligible for the Warm Home Discount – and WILL get a letter to confirm this – if…

• You or your partner were named on your electricity account or bill on 23 August 2026;
  
  AND
  

• You were getting one of the following means-tested benefits on the same date:

  • Pension Credit.

  • Universal Credit if you get a child or young person disability element, or if you or your partner are unemployed AND have a limited capability to work, or are responsible for a child under five.

  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance with a pensioner premium, disability premium or limited capability for work, or you or your partner are responsible for a child under five.

  • Support for Mortgage Interest loan and get a disability or pension premium, or you or your partner are responsible for a child under five.

You should have, or will, receive the letter to confirm you're eligible between October 2026 and January 2027. You don't have to respond to it, as you'll get the discount automatically.

2. You may be able to APPLY for the Warm Home Discount – but WON'T get a letter about this – if…

• You were named on your electricity account or bill on 23 August 2026 (the qualifying date for the payment);
  
  AND
  

• You were getting one of the following means-tested benefits:
  - Housing Benefit
  - Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  - Pension Credit
  - Universal Credit.

To get the discount, you'll need to apply for it through your energy supplier.

Northern Ireland

There is no equivalent scheme, so if you receive a letter about the Warm Home Discount and live in Northern Ireland; it's a SCAM. See our Northern Ireland energy guide for other support you can get and tips for cutting your bills. 

How can I tell if my Warm Home Discount letter is genuine?

• If your letter asks you to provide further information to prove you're eligible, you'll need to call a specific Government helpline and give it a code that's unique to you. Both the helpline number and the code will be in the letter you receive. The phone number will be different to the general Warm Home Discount helpline number.
  
  We are concerned that scammers could replicate these letters and create both their own fake phone number and fake reference code, so we've asked the Government to share the specific helpline number with us. So far, it has refused to do so – but it has confirmed that you can call the general helpline on 0800 030 9322 to verify your unique reference number.
  
  You may also be asked to confirm the billpayer's name and account number when you call – but the call agent will NEVER ask you for your bank details, nor will you ever be sent any online links and asked to click on them.

• Still not sure your letter is genuine? Call the general Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322. This is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can call if you're worried your letter might be a scam, or you haven't received your letter by early January 2027 but think you're eligible. You must contact the helpline by 26 February 2027.

How will I receive the Warm Home Discount?

Here's how the discount will be paid:

• If you pay by Direct Debit or on receipt of a bill, you'll get an automatic bill credit. The £150 will be added as credit to your energy bill at some point between October 2026 and March 2027.

• If you're on a smart prepay meter, you'll get credit added to your meter automatically. The £150 will be added to your electricity meter at some point between October 2026 and March 2027. This means you won't have to do anything to benefit.

• If you're on a traditional (non-smart) prepay meter, you'll be sent top-up vouchers. These will be sent by post, email or text – though some may receive a cheque instead. The vouchers will be sent from your energy supplier. If you get a letter, text or email and you're in any doubt whether it's genuine, independently find your supplier's contact details (through its official website, for example) and get in touch with it to check.
  
  You'll need to redeem the voucher at the Post Office or a PayPoint shop. In most cases, you'll need proof of identity, such as your passport or driving licence.

What to do if you think you've been scammed

As with any official communication from the Government, scammers will undoubtedly try and use these Warm Home Discount letters to target people.

If you think you've been caught out, try to stay calm and follow these steps:

1. End communication with the scammer. Do this immediately, and don't be tempted to respond to any further calls, emails or text messages – no matter how urgent they sound.

2. Contact your bank so it can cancel any further payments. Either contact your bank directly or call the 159 hotline (this will connect you with your bank).

3. Lost money to the scam? If you're in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, create a police report via Report Fraud. If you're in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.

4. Not lost money to the scam? Reporting the scam is still important even if you've not lost money, but where to report depends on whether the scam was a text, email, advertisement, website or phone call. See Report Fraud for more details.

5. For further help reach out to a specialist organisation. Some of the options are Citizens Advice (England and Wales), Citizens Advice Scotland and NIdirect.

For full help, see our Help, I've been scammed! guide, plus our 20 ways to stop scams.