People have just three days to contact the DWP for this year’s Warm Home Discount or face missing out.

Those who have limited income and face high energy bills may be eligible for the one-time payment of £150 to assist with expenses. The discount is intended to be reflected in energy bills from October 2023 to March 2024.

If households met the criteria, they should have received a notification letter by January 2024. If anyone has not yet received this letter and believes they may be eligible, they are urged to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) before February 29, 2024.

A statement from the DWP reads: “If you do not get a letter and you think you’re eligible, you must contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme before February 29, 2024.

“You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity and you’re eligible. Contact your supplier to find out.”

Who is eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme?

To qualify for the Warm Home Discount, customers must have an account with one of the participating electricity suppliers and claim either:

or, if they have high energy costs:

• A different ‘qualifying benefit’ such as the Savings Credit portion of Pension Credit, Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.

Those who qualify for the scheme in England and Wales will receive a letter explaining the discount and instructions on what they need to do next.

Customers in Scotland will need to apply directly with their energy supplier as soon as possible.

People can still receive the support if they have a pre-payment meter. According to the DWP, it may come in the form of a top-up voucher instead.

Energy suppliers that are part of the Warm Home Discount scheme

The following suppliers are part of the scheme:

• 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK or GEUK)
• Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy
• Boost
• British Gas
• Bulb Energy – see Octopus Energy
• Co-op Energy – see Octopus Energy
• E – also known as E (Gas and Electricity)
• Ecotricity
• E.ON Next
• EDF
• Good Energy
• London Power
• Octopus Energy
• Outfox the Market
• OVO
• Rebel Energy
• Sainsbury’s Energy
• Scottish Gas – see British Gas
• ScottishPower
• Shell Energy Retail
• So Energy
• Tomato Energy
• TruEnergy
• Utilita
• Utility Warehouse.

For those who may not be eligible, there is more help out there, experts have said.

Andy Kerr, founder at BOXT, commented: “Many people will be struggling with the cost of living and with energy prices at an all-time high, people may be finding themselves unable to pay their energy bills. But there is help.

“If you’re struggling to afford your energy bills, the first thing you should do is contact your energy supplier to discuss ways to pay them what you owe.

“Your energy supplier has to help you come to a solution but ensure you negotiate a deal that works for you and your monthly budget. If you have asked to set up a payment plan, this will include what you owe plus an amount for your current use.”

According to Mr Kerr, suppliers must take into account how much customers can afford to pay and how much energy they’ll use in future.

He added: “So make sure you have your monthly income and outgoings on hand, and also send regular meter readings and or get a smart meter installed so your bill is always based on accurate usage rather than an estimate. This means you’re less likely to be overpaying and also don’t risk underpaying then getting a big catch-up bill further down the line.”

There are several additional grants and schemes available, with varying eligibility criteria.

Mr Kerr said: “Your supplier should also be able to help you identify any hardship funds or grants you may be eligible for.”