Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills

You can get help if you’re struggling to afford your energy bills or top up your prepayment meter. You might be able to take advantage of certain benefits, grants and help offered by the government and energy suppliers.

Get a £400 energy discount from the government

The government will give every household £400 off their electricity bill. This is called the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

You don’t need to do anything to get the money and you won’t have to pay it back. 

You’ll get the £400 in 6 instalments starting from October 2022. You’ll get:

• £66 in October and November

• £67 in December, January, February and March

You’ll get the discount monthly, even if you pay for your energy quarterly or use a payment card.

How you get the discount will depend on how you pay for energy.

If you pay by direct debit

Your supplier will either:

• reduce your direct debit amount

• refund the money to your bank account each month

Contact your supplier if you can’t see the deduction on your bill or statement, or the refund in your bank account.

If you have a smart prepayment meter

The payment will be added directly to your smart meter in the first week of each month.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter

You’ll get a voucher from your supplier by text message, email or post in the first week of each month. Your supplier will confirm how you’ll get the voucher nearer the time. You’ll only be able to use your voucher for your own energy account.

You’ll need to take the voucher to your usual top-up point to use it.

If you pay by standard credit or payment card

Your supplier will add the discount as a credit to your account in the first week of each month. The credit will appear on your account in the same way as if you had made a payment.

Get money back if you pay council tax 

You can get £150 back from the council to help pay your energy bills - this is called a ‘rebate’. 

You’ll get the rebate if you pay council tax and your home is in council tax bands A to D. You can find your band on your council tax bill or check your council tax band on GOV.UK

You’ll only get the rebate if you’re the person who has to pay council tax for your household. Only one person per household will get the rebate.

You’ll get the rebate even if you:

• get a Council Tax Reduction, including a full reduction, and your home is in bands A to D 

• get the Disabled Band Reduction discount and your home is in bands A to E

• are subject to immigration control and your biometric residence permit says "no recourse to public funds"

If you get benefits, the rebate won’t affect them.

If you can’t get the rebate, the council might still offer you financial help. For example, they might help you if you're in council tax bands E to H and you get certain benefits. Contact your local council to see if they can help you - find your local council on GOV.UK.

How you’ll get the rebate

If you set up a direct debit to pay your council tax before the end of March 2022, your council should pay you automatically. Local councils will start to make the payments directly into bank accounts in April 2022.

If you don’t pay by direct debit or didn’t set up a direct debit before the end of March 2022, you should still get a rebate.

Your local council will contact you - they’ll probably ask you to complete an online form.

After you’ve given the council your details, they’ll make the payment as soon as possible. 

If you don't hear from your council, contact them to check how you can claim the rebate. You should contact them before 30 September 2022 when the scheme closes. Find your local council on GOV.UK.

If your bank account is overdrawn

You can ask your bank to use this £150 rebate to pay your energy bills instead of paying off your overdraft. This is known as ‘exercising your first right of appropriation’. You can check how to exercise your first right of appropriation on National Debtline.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

If you get benefits, you might be able to get £150 off your electricity bill or £150 added to your prepayment meter. You don’t need to apply for the scheme - payments are automatic.

Check which energy supplier you were with on 21 August 2022. You can only get the discount if your supplier is in the scheme. The following suppliers are part of the scheme:

• Affect Energy 

• Boost

• British Gas

• Bulb Energy

• Co-op Energy 

• E (Gas and Electricity)

• E.ON

• E.ON Next

• Ebico

• Ecotricity 

• EDF Energy

• Good Energy

• Green Energy UK (GEUK)

• London Power

• M&S Energy

• Octopus Energy

• Outfox the Market 

• OVO

• Rebel Energy 

• Sainsbury’s Energy 

• ScottishPower

• Shell Energy Retail

• So Energy

• SSE

• Utilita

• Utility Warehouse

If you or your partner get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you should get the Warm Home Discount.

You might also be able to get the Warm Home Discount if you get a different benefit and the government decides you have 'high energy costs'. They'll work this out automatically - you don't need to contact them.

If you have high energy costs, you’ll get the Warm Home Discount if you get any of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit

• Pension Credit Savings Credit

• Housing Benefit

• income based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• income related Employment and Support Allowance

• Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits

• Income Support

If you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount but switched supplier after 21 August 2022

Check the supplier you were with on 21 August 2022. If you were eligible to get the discount from them, you should still get it. Contact your old supplier and:

• ask if they have your contact details

• check when the payment will be made

If your supplier on 21 August 2022 isn't in the scheme, you won’t get the discount. This is true even if you switched to a supplier in the scheme after this date.

If you live in a mobile home or park home site

You might be able to get the £150 discount as part of the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme. To get the discount you’ll need to meet the same rules as the main Warm Homes Discount Scheme. You must also:

• permanently live on a park home site

• pay for your electricity through the park, or as part of their pitch fees

You’ll need to apply for the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme. You should apply as soon as possible when the scheme opens in September 2022 - there’s limited funding and the government will look at applications in the order they get them. Register your interest in the scheme on the Park Homes Warm Home Discount website. You’ll be contacted when the scheme opens.

If you’re on a low income and struggling with living costs, there are also other things you can do. Check if you can increase your income.

Check if you can get a fuel voucher

If you can't afford to top up your prepayment meter, you might be able to get a fuel voucher. This is a code given to you in a letter or in a text message or email. You can use it to add credit to your gas card or electricity key. If you don't have one of these, contact your supplier to get one. 

Your local council might be able to help you get a fuel voucher - find your local council on GOV.UK. If you’re still not sure if you can get a voucher, get help from an adviser.

You can use a fuel voucher at:

• a shop signed up to PayPoint - find a shop near you on the PayPoint website

• a Post Office or shop signed up to Payzone - find a Post Office or shop near you on the Payzone website

To use your voucher you’ll need to take:

• the code and instructions

• some form of ID - for example, your passport or a bill with your name and address

You must use your fuel voucher within 30 days after you get it.

If you have problems using your voucher, contact the organisation that gave it to you - you should be able to find their contact information on the instructions.

If you don’t use gas or electricity to heat your home

You might be able to get extra financial help if you:

• rely on oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal or wood as your main source of heating
• aren’t on the gas grid 

You’ll need to show that you can't heat your home because you can't afford to buy fuel - or you might not be able to afford it soon. 

Talk to an adviser if you need extra help. Your local Citizens Advice will need to apply for you.

Winter Fuel Payment

The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual one-off payment to help you pay for heating during the winter.

You can usually get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 25 September 1956.

You’ll automatically get an extra 'pensioner cost of living payment' with your usual Winter Fuel Payment in either November or December.

You should start getting the Winter Fuel Payment automatically once you reach State Pension age, but sometimes you might need to apply. You can find out how to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment on GOV.UK.

Check how much pensioner cost of living payment you'll get

You’ll get £300 if you live either:

• on your own 

• with people who don’t qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment

If you live with someone else who qualifies for the Winter Fuel Payment, the amount you’ll get depends on whether either of you get any of the following:

• Pension Credit

• income-related ESA

• income-based JSA

If either you or the person you live with gets one of these benefits, you’ll both get £300 - as long as you’re not partners. If you’re partners, you’ll only get one £300 payment.

If neither of you get one of these benefits, you’ll both get £150.

If you live in residential care and qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment, you'll get £150 unless you get any of these benefits. If you get any of the benefits, you won't get a pensioner cost of living payment.

Cold Weather Payments

Cold Weather Payments are one-off payments to help you pay for extra heating costs when it’s very cold.

You’ll get a payment each time the temperature drops below a specific temperature for a set period of time.

You’ll only be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment if you already get:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Universal Credit
• support for mortgage interest

If you're eligible, you'll get paid automatically. Find out more about Cold Weather Payments on GOV.UK.

Grants to help pay off your energy debts

If you’re in debt to your energy supplier, you might be able to get a grant to help pay it off.

The following energy suppliers offer grants to their customers:

• British Gas Energy Support Fund - apply for a grant on the British Gas Energy Trust website

• Scottish Power Hardship Fund - apply for a grant on the Scottish Power Hardship Fund website
• Ovo Energy Fund - apply for a grant on the Ovo Energy Fund website

• E.ON Energy Fund - apply for a grant on the E.ON Energy Fund website
• E.ON Next Energy Fund - apply for a grant on the E.ON Next Energy Fund website

• EDF Energy Customer Support Fund - sign up to the priority services register to apply for a grant on the EDF Energy website
• Bulb Energy Fund - apply for a grant on the Bulb Energy Fund website
• Octopus ‘Octo Assist Fund’ - apply for a grant on the Octopus website
• Shell Energy Support Fund - apply for help on the Shell Energy website

If your supplier isn’t listed it’s a good idea to contact them directly to see what extra support they can give you.

If you can’t get a grant from your supplier, you might be able to get a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust. These grants are available to anyone - you don’t have to be a British Gas customer. You’ll need to get debt advice before applying - get help from a debt adviser.

If you've already spoken to a debt adviser - check if you can get a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust.

Before you apply

When you apply for a grant, you'll have to provide detailed information about your financial situation in your application. It could take a while to complete, and it might be worth getting help from a friend or family member. You can also talk to an adviser for help filling in forms.

It’s worth checking on the trust or fund website if there’s anything else you need to do before you apply.

For example, if your supplier is E.ON, E.ON Next or EDF you’ll need to show you’ve completed a budget sheet with a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved adviser. To do this:

1. Find an adviser using the debt advice locator on the Money Helper website
2. Check if the adviser or their firm is on the FCA register
3. Contact the adviser to arrange a conversation where you’ll complete a budget sheet

You can get ready for your conversation by using the Budget Planner on the Money Helper website.

Local energy grants

Check if you can get a local energy grant on the Simple Energy Advice website.

You might also be able to find grants or schemes run by your local council. Find your local council on GOV.UK.

Extra help from your supplier

You might be able to get extra help and support from your energy supplier by signing up to the Priority Services Register. You can sign up if you've reached state pension age, you're disabled or sick, or if your energy network considers you 'vulnerable'.

Your energy supplier can help you with things like:

• reading your energy meter
• moving your energy meter free of charge
• getting your bills sent or copied to someone else - for example, a carer

If you’re struggling with living costs

If you’re struggling with money, there are things you can do to save on your regular living costs. Check what to do if you need help with living costs.

If you’re finding it hard to pay your bills, you can get help. Find out more about getting help with your bills.

You can also get help with debts.

If you're struggling to pay for food, find out how to get help from a food bank.

If you’re finding things difficult

Your mental health is as important as your physical health. You should talk to your GP if your money problems are affecting your mental health. 

You can find other ways to get help with your mental health on the Mind website.

If you need to speak to someone right now you can call the Samaritans for free.

Samaritans

Helpline: 116 123 (Monday to Sunday at any time)

Welsh Language Line: 0808 164 0123 (Monday to Sunday 7pm to 11pm)

Shout

You can also text 'SHOUT' to 85258 to start a conversation with a trained Shout 85258 volunteer. Texts are free, anonymous and confidential from anywhere in the UK.

If you think it's an emergency

If you think your life or someone else’s is at risk, you should call 999 or go to A&E if you can.

You can also find a list of urgent mental health services on the Mind website.

Further help

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone or by email.