Millions of Warm Home Discount letters being sent – how to tell if yours is genuine

Who will get a letter?

How it works and who will receive a letter about the Warm Home Discount varies depending on where you live in the UK – for full details, see our Warm Home Discount guide:

England and Wales

1. You're eligible for the Warm Home Discount if…

• You were named on your electricity account or bill on 24 August 2025 (the qualifying date for the payment);
  
  AND
  

• You were getting one of the following means-tested benefits on the same date:
  - Housing Benefit
  - Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  - Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
  - Income Support
  - Pension Credit
  - Universal Credit.

2. You'll get a letter if…

• The Government has been able to confirm you're eligible without further checks – this will be the case for most people getting the discount. In these cases, you'll get the discount automatically without having to respond to the letter.
  
  OR
  

• You've been flagged as 'potentially eligible' but need to provide more information. In this case, your letter will ask you to call a helpline to provide this information – see more on this below.

You should have received, or will receive, one of these letters between October and early January 2026. If you think you might be eligible but haven't got your letter by early January, you'll need to contact the Government's helpline.

Scotland

1. You're automatically eligible for the Warm Home Discount – and WILL get a letter to confirm this – if…

• You or your partner were named on your electricity account or bill on 24 August 2025;
  
  AND
  

• You get the 'guarantee element' of Pension Credit.

You should have, or will, receive the letter to confirm you're eligible between October and December 2025. You don't have to respond to it, as you'll get the discount automatically.

2. You may be able to APPLY for the Warm Home Discount – but WON'T get a letter about this – if…

• You were named on your electricity account or bill on 24 August 2025 (the qualifying date for the payment);
  
  AND
  

• You were getting one of the following means-tested benefits:
  - Housing Benefit
  - Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  - Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
  - Income Support
  - Pension Credit
  - Universal Credit.

To get the discount, you'll need to apply for it through your energy supplier.

Northern Ireland

There is no equivalent scheme, so if you receive a letter about the Warm Home Discount and live in Northern Ireland; it's a SCAM.

How can I tell if my Warm Home Discount letter is genuine?

• Firstly, you need to look out for a physical letter in the post. The Government will ONLY send you a hard copy letter about your Warm Home Discount eligibility. This means that if you receive an email, text or phone call claiming to be from the Government about the discount, it's a SCAM.
  
  Some energy suppliers MAY send text messages to let people know about the discount, but if you get one of these – DON'T click any links or call any numbers provided. Instead find your supplier's contact details independently – for example, on your bill – and contact it directly.

• If your letter says you automatically qualify for the Warm Home Discount, you DO NOT need to click any links, make any phone calls, provide any further evidence or take any other action. If you're asked to do so then it's a scam; you do not need to do anything. The letter will simply inform you that you qualify for the Warm Home Discount and state that you don't need to act.

• If your letter asks you to provide further information to prove you're eligible, you'll need to call a specific Government helpline and give it a code that's unique to you. Both the helpline number and the code will be in the letter you receive. The phone number will be different to the general Warm Home Discount helpline number.
  
  We are concerned that scammers could replicate these letters and create both their own fake phone number and fake reference code, so we've been pressing the Government to share the specific helpline number with us. So far, it has refused to do so – but it has confirmed that you can call the general helpline on 0800 030 9322 to verify your unique reference number.
  
  You may also be asked to confirm the billpayer's name and account number when you call – but the call agent will NEVER ask you for your bank details, nor will you ever be sent any online links and asked to click on them.

• Still not sure your letter is genuine? Call the general Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322. This is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can call if you're worried your letter might be a scam, or you haven't received your letter by early January 2026 but think you're eligible. You must contact the helpline by 28 February 2026.

How will I receive the Warm Home Discount?

Here's how the discount will be paid:

• If you pay by Direct Debit or on receipt of a bill, you'll get an automatic bill credit. The £150 will be added as credit to your energy bill at some point between October 2025 and March 2026.

• If you're on a smart prepay meter, you'll get credit added to your meter automatically. The £150 will be added to your electricity meter at some point between October 2025 and March 2026. This means you won't have to do anything to benefit.

• If you're on a traditional (non-smart) prepay meter, you'll be sent top-up vouchers. These will be sent by post, email or text – though some may receive a cheque instead. The vouchers will be sent from your energy supplier. If you get a letter, text or email and you're in any doubt whether it's genuine, independently find your supplier's contact details (through its official website, for example) and get in touch with it to check.
  
  You'll need to redeem the voucher at the Post Office or a PayPoint shop. In most cases, you'll need proof of identity, such as your passport or driving licence.

What to do if you think you've been scammed

As with any official communication from the Government, scammers will undoubtedly try and use these Warm Home Discount letters to target people. We break down the steps to take you if think you've been scammed in our 30+ ways to stop scams guide, but in brief, end all further communication with the scammer immediately, then:

• Call the 159 hotline if you've provided card or bank details. This will connect you directly with your bank. You should then let your bank know about any money you've lost and ask it to cancel any payments that haven't yet been made.
  
  Alternatively, you can call your bank directly. Make sure you find your bank's contact details independently – for example, by calling the phone number on the back of your card or on your bank statement.

• Report the scam. You can do this via the Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) website or by calling 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales or Northern Ireland). If you're in Scotland, report a scam via the Consumeradvice website or call it on 0808 164 6000. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
  
  Another option (UK-wide), if it's an online scam, is to report it to the Advertising Standards Authority. Do this in addition to reporting it to Report Fraud or Consumeradvice.

• Use Section 75 if you've been scammed when paying for something costing more than £100 on a credit card. If you used a debit card or spent exactly £100 or less on a credit card, you could try to claim your money back under the chargeback scheme instead.
  
  Unfortunately, if you've transferred the money using sites such as Moneygram, PayPal or Western Union, you generally can't get your money back once you've handed it over.

• For more help and support, contact Citizens Advice (England and Wales), Citizens Advice Scotland, or NIdirect (Northern Ireland). Alternatively, call the Financial Conduct Authority's helpline on 0800 111 6768 (UK-wide).