If you are struggling with gas and electricity costs, several government schemes and grants can help. Most are paid automatically if you receive certain benefits, but some need you to act before a deadline.
This guide explains the support available now, who qualifies, and how much each scheme is worth. The figures below are the confirmed amounts for the most recent winter, and the rules that carry forward.
Quick answer
The main support comes from four schemes. The Warm Home Discount gives a £150 rebate on your electricity bill. The Winter Fuel Payment pays pensioner households £200 or £300. The Cold Weather Payment pays £25 for each spell of freezing weather. And energy efficiency grants can fund insulation and heating upgrades.
Which ones you can get depends mainly on your age, the benefits you receive, and where you live in the UK.
What most people get wrong
A few misunderstandings cost people money or cause needless worry.
The most common is expecting a Cost of Living Payment. Those one-off payments ended in early 2024, and none are scheduled to return. The support that remains is the scheme-based help set out below.
Many pensioners also misread the Winter Fuel Payment rules. The payment is no longer limited to people on Pension Credit, but it is clawed back in full if your income is over £35,000. There is no partial reduction.
It is also worth knowing what the energy price cap does. It limits the unit rates and standing charges you can be charged, not the total of your bill. If you use more energy, you pay more, cap or no cap.
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 rebate applied to your electricity account, usually between October and March. If you have a prepayment meter, you normally receive it as a voucher or a credit added to the meter.
For winter 2025/26 the rules were widened. The old “high cost to heat” test was removed in England and Wales, so all households on a qualifying means-tested benefit now qualify. This brought the total to around 6 million households.
You qualify if, on the qualifying date, the bill is in your name and you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, or another qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Income Support.
Most households get the discount automatically. Some receive a letter asking them to confirm details, so if you think you qualify and hear nothing, contact your electricity supplier before the scheme’s deadline.
Winter Fuel Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment helps pensioner households with heating costs. For winter 2025/26 it was paid to households in England and Wales that include someone born on or before 21 September 1959.
You receive £200 per household, or £300 if someone in the household is aged 80 or over. People in care homes who do not get certain means-tested benefits receive a reduced amount.
The key rule is the income test. If your individual taxable income is over £35,000, HMRC recovers the whole payment through the tax system, usually by adjusting your tax code or through Self Assessment. This is a cliff edge: income of exactly £35,000 keeps the full payment, while £35,001 loses all of it. The payment still arrives first and is recovered later, unless you choose to opt out.
The position differs across the UK. In Scotland the equivalent is the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, worth between £101.70 and £305.10 with the same £35,000 limit. Northern Ireland runs its own version.
Cold Weather Payment
The Cold Weather Payment is £25 for each seven-day period where the temperature in your area is, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below. It runs from 1 November to 31 March in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
You qualify if you receive a benefit such as Pension Credit, Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Income Support, and you meet the conditions for that benefit. Payments are automatic when your postcode triggers, so there is nothing to claim.
Scotland no longer uses this scheme. Instead, eligible households receive a flat £59.75 Winter Heating Payment once a year, paid regardless of how cold it gets.
Help with insulation and heating
If your home is hard to heat, grants can fund energy efficiency improvements rather than just help with bills.
The ECO4 scheme places an obligation on larger energy suppliers to fund measures such as insulation, heating repairs and heat pumps for low-income and vulnerable households, often in homes with a poor EPC rating. It was extended to 31 December 2026, and the government has confirmed there will be no direct successor obligation after it ends, so it is worth applying while funding lasts. You apply through an approved installer or your supplier.
The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. In England, the main route now is the Warm Homes: Local Grant, run through councils and funded until March 2028. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to offer grants towards heat pumps, and Northern Ireland runs the Affordable Warmth Scheme.
If you are behind on your bills
If you are in energy debt or at risk of running out of credit, support goes beyond the seasonal schemes.
Most large suppliers run hardship funds, such as the British Gas Energy Trust, the EDF Customer Support Fund and Octopus Octo Assist, which can help with arrears or emergency credit. You apply through your own supplier, and several funds are open even if you are not their customer.
You can also join the Priority Services Register, a free service from your supplier and network operator that gives extra protection if you are of pension age, disabled, or in a vulnerable situation. Prepayment meter users are usually entitled to emergency and friendly-hours credit when their balance runs low.
For one-off crisis help, your local council may offer support through the Household Support Fund, including help with food and energy costs.
When to take action
Timing matters, because several schemes pay automatically only if your records are in order.
Claiming Pension Credit is the single most useful step for many older people, because it can open the door to the Warm Home Discount and other support, and it can be backdated by up to three months. Make sure the energy bill is in the name of the person who receives the qualifying benefit, as the discount is matched to that name.
If you have a vulnerability or a long-term health condition, join the Priority Services Register now rather than waiting for winter. And if you want insulation or heating help, apply for ECO4 early, as funding can run out before the December 2026 end date.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any more Cost of Living Payments coming?
No. The one-off Cost of Living Payments ended in early 2024 and none are scheduled. The support that continues is the scheme-based help such as the Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payment.
Do I have to apply for the Warm Home Discount?
Usually not. Most eligible households receive the £150 automatically. Some are sent a letter asking them to confirm details, so contact your supplier if you expect it and it does not arrive.
Will I lose my Winter Fuel Payment if I earn over £35,000?
Yes. If your individual taxable income is above £35,000, HMRC recovers the full payment through the tax system. Income of £35,000 or less keeps the whole payment.
Can I get the Cold Weather Payment in Scotland?
No. Scotland replaced it with the Winter Heating Payment, a flat £59.75 paid once a year regardless of the temperature.
Is the ECO4 scheme still open?
Yes, for now. It was extended to 31 December 2026, with no successor obligation confirmed, so it is worth applying through an installer or supplier while funding remains.
What is the Priority Services Register?
It is a free register held by your energy supplier and network operator that gives extra support if you are of pension age, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable, such as advance notice of power cuts and help reading your meter.
Next steps
- Winter Fuel Payment: who qualifies and how much – GOVexplained
- Pension Credit: what it is and how to claim – GOVexplained
- How to apply for Universal Credit – GOVexplained