Does moving house after the qualifying date stop the discount?

The rules fix three things on 23 August 2026: your benefit, whose name was on the electricity bill and whether that supplier was in the scheme. Neither GOV.UK nor Citizens Advice publishes a separate moving-home rule, so keep any scheme letter, give your old supplier your new address and ask the helpline once it reopens.

When will the Warm Home Discount be paid for winter 2026/27?

GOV.UK says the scheme reopens in October 2026, and Citizens Advice says letters go out in autumn 2026 and the discount is paid by 31 March 2027. Your supplier applies the £150 to your electricity account. The money is not paid to you directly, unless a former supplier owes you a cheque.

Is the Warm Home Discount available in Northern Ireland?

No. GOV.UK and Ofgem both state the scheme does not run in Northern Ireland. GOV.UK points households there to the Affordable Warmth Scheme run by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive instead.

Does getting the Warm Home Discount affect my Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payments?

No. GOV.UK says the discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment. The schemes have different rules and different paying bodies.

Warm Home Discount If You Moved or Switched Supplier

Warm Home Discount eligibility for winter 2026/27 was fixed on 23 August 2026. If you switched supplier after that date and qualified, the supplier you had on 23 August pays the £150, and Citizens Advice says it should arrive as a cheque. If you moved home after that date, the same snapshot applies, but no official page sets out a specific moving rule, so keep any scheme letter and check with your old supplier and the helpline. The facts below were checked on 13 October 2026 against GOV.UK, Citizens Advice and Ofgem.

What are the Warm Home Discount rules for winter 2026/27?

Rule	Winter 2026/27 position	Source
Amount	A one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill. Prepayment customers get it another way, for example a top-up voucher. If one company supplies both fuels you may be able to have it on gas instead.	GOV.UK
Qualifying date	23 August 2026 in England, Wales and Scotland.	GOV.UK
England and Wales	All three must apply on the qualifying date: your supplier is in the scheme, you or your partner get Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit, and your name or your partner's is on the electricity bill.	GOV.UK
Scotland	A core group gets it automatically, for example Pension Credit recipients. Others must apply directly to their supplier, which may set extra criteria.	GOV.UK
Who pays it	Your electricity supplier applies it to your account. The money is not paid to you.	GOV.UK
When	GOV.UK says the scheme reopens in October 2026. Citizens Advice says letters go out in autumn 2026 and the discount is paid by 31 March 2027.	Citizens Advice
Scheme year	Ofgem's scheme year 16 runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 in England and Wales, and from 1 May 2026 to 31 March 2027 in Scotland.	Ofgem
Participating suppliers	GOV.UK lists 24 suppliers for winter 2026/27, including British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next, Octopus, OVO, ScottishPower and Utilita. Suppliers with over 1,000 customers must take part; smaller ones can choose to.	GOV.UK
Northern Ireland	The scheme is not available. GOV.UK points to the Affordable Warmth Scheme instead.	GOV.UK

The discount is separate from the Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payments, and GOV.UK confirms it does not affect either. Our winter energy bill help hub lists every scheme with its dates.

I switched supplier after 23 August 2026. Who pays?

The supplier you were with on 23 August 2026. Citizens Advice tells households that switched after the qualifying date to contact that supplier, and says an eligible household should receive a £150 cheque from it rather than a credit from the new supplier.

There is one catch. If your old supplier was not in the scheme on 23 August, you will not get the discount this winter, even if your new supplier takes part. Check the old supplier against the GOV.UK list before you chase anyone.

Practical steps:

Find the account number and the closing statement from your old supplier.
Ask that supplier whether it holds your eligibility details and when it expects to pay.
Give it a current postal address so a cheque reaches you.
Keep any scheme letter. It is your confirmation if the payment goes missing.

I moved house after the qualifying date. Will I still get it?

The rules fix three things on 23 August 2026: the benefit you or your partner received, whose name was on the electricity bill and whether that supplier was in the scheme. A move after that date does not rewrite the snapshot. However, neither GOV.UK nor Citizens Advice publishes a separate moving-home rule, so treat the steps below as practical advice rather than a guarantee.

If you stayed with the same supplier at the new address, tell it you have moved and ask it to confirm how the discount will reach you.
If you changed supplier when you moved, the old supplier pays, as above.
If you moved to Northern Ireland, the scheme does not operate there.
If you moved from England or Wales to Scotland, note that Scotland's broader group requires an application to your supplier.

GOV.UK's help page for a missed discount asks for the name of the bill holder on the qualifying date, which shows how firmly the scheme is tied to that day. Have the same details ready when you call the helpline once it reopens.

My new supplier says I am not on its list. What now?

That is expected. Eligibility is matched to the supplier you had on 23 August 2026, so a supplier you joined afterwards has no record to match. Do not treat its answer as a refusal. Go back to the supplier you had on the qualifying date.

The GOV.UK help page currently covers last winter. For winter 2025/26 it told households with confirmation of eligibility, but no discount by 31 March 2026, to contact their supplier first and then write to the scheme with their supplier name, account number and the bill holder's name on the qualifying date. Keep the equivalent records for this winter until your £150 arrives.

How does this fit with other winter support?

The Warm Home Discount is funded through a levy on domestic gas and electricity customers and runs as separate schemes for England and Wales and for Scotland, according to Ofgem. It is not the same as the new Bill Discount Scheme for homes near new pylons, which is covered in our government discounts guide.

If you moved recently, our energy bill setup guide explains how to record opening readings and get the account in the right name, which matters for any future qualifying date.

Where Taupia fits

Taupia does not apply for the Warm Home Discount or any other benefit on your behalf, and it cannot change who the scheme pays. It monitors your energy bills, compares tariffs against your own usage and switches only once you approve. It is free, and it never guarantees a saving. If your old supplier owes you a cheque, keep that account's details to hand so the payment is not lost in the move.

Warm Home Discount After Moving or Switching Supplier

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