ENERGY giant EDF is to give out an automatic £150 discount on bills to customers starting in days.
The cash is part of the Warm Home Discount scheme, a government led initiative that requires electricity suppliers to offer additional support to people.
EDF will provide a discount to those needing support[/caption]
This is to help reduce bills for those struggling this winter.
The scheme opens in October, with eligible customers to have the discount applied to their bills by March 31 2026, at the very latest.
EDF, which has over five million customers, is urging households to look out for letters landing on doormats next month.
Octopus announced earlier this month that it will issue the same payment to there eligible customers.
Low income families on certain benefits no longer need to live in energy-inefficiency homes to qualify.
This means that 2.7million more households, including 900,000 families with children, are now eligible for the scheme.
To qualify you need to have been claiming one of the nine means-tested benefits on a specific date – August 24:
- Guaranteed credit element of pension credit
- Income support
- Income based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income related employment and support allowance
- Housing benefit
- Universal Credit
- The “Savings Credit” part of pension credit
You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain threshold and you get either – Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.
Pension Credit explained
Pension Credit is a benefit which gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re on a low income in retirement.
It can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges.
You may be able to get extra help of you’re a carer, have a disability, or are responsible for a child.
It also opens up access to lots of other benefits such as the warm home discount scheme, support for mortgage interest, council tax discounts, free TV licences once you’re over 75, and help with NHS costs.
To qualify, you need to be over state pension age and live in England, Scotland or Wales.
If you have a partner, you need to include them on your claim.
Pension Credit tops up:
- your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single
- your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner
However, even if your income is higher, you might still qualify if you have a disability or caring responsibilities.
There is also another element to Pension Credit called savings credit. To get this, you need to have saved some money towards your retirement.
You can get an extra £17.01 a week for a single person or £19.04 a week for a married couple.
If you have more than £10,000 in savings, the government uses a calculation to work out how much it adds to your income.
Every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week. For example, if you have £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 income a week.
People eligible for the EDF scheme have been placed into three groups.
Core Group 1 are customers that are eligible who live in England, Wales and Scotland and are in receipt of grantee element of Pension Credit.
They will be identified by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and receive the rebate automatically.
Core Group 2 are customers who are in receipt of the means-tested benefits on the qualifying date, who will also be identified by the DWP and receive the discount automatically.
The final group is the Scotland Broader one, who are not eligible for Core Group 1 and must apply each year.
If you weren’t claiming benefits on August 24, 2025, you won’t be eligible for the payment.
However, your eligibility for certain benefits can be backdated.
For example, successful pension credit claims can be backdated by three months.
Claims for universal credit can be backdated by one month.
Around 700,000 pensioners are eligible for pension credit but not claiming it.
How will I receive my Warm Home Discount rebate ?
If you have a credit meter, your discount will be credited directly to your account.
Once applied, it will show on your bill. You will be able to view this the next time you log into your account.
If you’re a repayment customers, you’ll receive a voucher in the post with instructions on redeeming it.
You can only redeem the voucher at the Post Office.
If you’re a smart Pay As You Go customer, the rebate will be credited directly to your electricity meter.
You will be able to view this the next time you log into your account.
Tips to help reduce energy bills at home
There are many small changes that are easy to do at home to help reduce bills.
You can turn down your thermostat and set a timer for your heating to come on only when you need it.
Turn the flow temperature down on your boiler. This doesn’t lower the temperature of your home and helps save gas.
If you use individual radiator valves it means you can reduce or turn off radiators in unused rooms.
This helps reduce your household energy usage.
What energy bill help is available?
There’s a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
