For winter 2022/23 there will be changes around applications and the eligibility criteria of the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
You could get £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2022 to 2023 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme (WHD).
The money is not paid to you – it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October 2022 and March 2023.
As the eligibility criteria has changed this year, even if you have previously received the discount, you may not this year.
What has changed?
- Applications – There is NO need to apply for the WHD anymore – your supplier will automatically apply the discount to your bill if you are eligible.
If you get Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well) you will automatically qualify IF your energy provider is part of the scheme and you or your partner are named on the bill. If this is you, you are classed as ‘Core Group 1’.
- Eligibility criteria – Households who have low incomes, you are classed as ‘Core Group 2’. Your home must meet new ‘high energy cost’ rules.
The government will take information about your home like the floor size, property age and property type to decide if your household is likely to have high energy costs.
You will automatically qualify for the WHD if you’re on a low income and your home is considered to have high energy costs.
If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (Core Group 1) you do not have to satisfy the property criteria and be classed as having high energy costs, like you do if you’re in ‘Core Group 2’.
For more information around this, you can read the eligibility statement, here: Warm Home Discount: eligibility statement (England and Wales) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Does my energy supplier offer the discount?
Many energy suppliers do, but it’s best to check with yours if they do offer the WHD Scheme.
If you’re with an energy supplier that doesn’t offer the discount scheme, but you still qualify for it, you may want to consider switching to a company that provides it. However, if you have a good deal with your current energy company, be sure to check if switching will end up costing you more than the £150 that you would be saving.
Will I receive the discount?
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will receive a letter from the government telling you about the Warm Home Discount Scheme. Letters are being sent out until mid-January 2023.
If you have previously received the discount but now your home no longer meets the criteria, so is not considered to have high energy costs, unfortunately you will not receive the discount.
If you believe that you should receive the discount and you haven’t received a letter, you can check your eligibility, here: Check if you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
It states I need an energy performance certificate (EPC) to check if I’m eligible for the discount scheme, but I don’t know if I have one. What do I do?
The government use what is called VOA data to work out if you’re eligible for the WHD. This data is used to find out what type of property you live in, the age of the property and size of the property. This data is then used to work out if your property is high energy or low energy. If it is considered a high energy property, then you are eligible for the WHD.
So, no you do not need an EPC. If you disagree with the Governments decision based on the VOA data (property type, size and age) then they are telling customers to provide an EPC.
You can check to see if your property has an EPC, here: Find an energy certificate – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
EPC’s that have expired are still accepted up to 10 years after expiry and can be used to determine eligibility for the discount scheme.
Trivallis are not legally required to provide an EPC if you do not hold a valid one.
Please remember that even with a valid EPC your property is likely to still be considered low energy, meaning you do not qualify for the WHD.
As stated above, EPCs are only being requested by WHD if you disagree with the eligibility criteria that they have used.
For more support around this, call the Warm Home Discount Helpline on 0800 107 800
Who can I contact?
If you have any issues, queries, or complaints around the discount scheme, you should take this up with the Warm Home Discount Scheme directly as unfortunately, Trivallis are unable to support with this. You can contact them directly on 0800 731 0214 between 14 November 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Where can I find more information?
Warm Home Discount Scheme – GOV.UK
Warm Home Discount Scheme – Uswitch
If you need any support with your finances, our Money Advice Team are available to help you.