Continuing the Warm Home Discount Scheme

Stakeholders strongly supported extending the Warm Home Discount Scheme in England and Wales, and Scotland, for five years from winter 2026/27, recognising its vital role in tackling fuel poverty.

Based on the consultation feedback received, the government decided to proceed with its main proposals to:

• continue the Warm Home Discount scheme across Great Britain for a further five years to winter 2030/31
• in England and Wales, retain existing eligibility criteria and merge Core Group 1 and 2 into a single Core Group
• retain and strengthen support through Industry Initiatives across Great Britain
• explore expanding the role of suppliers in the communications with eligible consumers
• replace the fixed annual spending target with annual estimates reflecting the number of eligible households
• allow rebate notices to be issued after the end of the scheme year in cases of administrative errors
• continue to explore improvements and innovations to the scheme during the next scheme period

In Scotland, fuel poverty is a devolved matter and consultation responses related to the scheme in Scotland were shared with the Scottish Government. Scottish Government ministers have determined eligibility for Warm Home Discount in Scotland for the next scheme period within the funding limit:

• in Scotland, expand the Core Group to increase rebates provided under automatic data-matching and retain the Broader Group

The government will lay regulations for the scheme to continue in England and Wales, and Scotland for the next scheme period from winter 2026/27 to 2030/31 in due course.

We received 93 responses to this consultation.

Responses were received from 84 organisations, including 46 responses from advocacy groups, consumer groups and charities, 14 from local authorities and public bodies, and 11 from energy suppliers.

There were also 9 responses from members of the public.