Warm Home Discount (WHD)

Thank you both for replying 

I have tried repeatedly to access the form, for the warm home discount. When I do finally access it, it will not accept my postcode, no matter what format I use.

Can anyone advise, please?

Hi @Carol Agnew ,

You can only use that form if you’re in Scotland. If you’re in England or Wales, please do not apply manually as it won’t work - you’ll be contacted automatically.

Alternatively, if you are in SCOTLAND, you can register via OVO Support at https://ovoenergy.com/help to use Live Chat - use the keyword Agent to bypass the bot when it asks what you’re looking for.

Thank you so much.

@Emmanuelle_OVO This article needs updating to cover the scheme for 2024-25:

• “If you live in England or Wales you don’t need to apply for the Warm Home Discount“. 
  I have today received a letter telling me “Please remember - you must call before 28 February 2025 or you will miss out on the discount.” I’ve never had to do this before, so something has changed.
  There is apparently no alternative for those unable to use the telephone.
• The eligibility qualifying date is (13 August 2023) 11 August 2024.
  This date should be corrected everywhere.
• The Government will write to benefit claimants between October and December (2023) 2024.
  Ditto.
• “It's important you give them this information by (28 February 2024) 28 February 2025 to be considered for the discount.” 

  
Can the mods have it confirmed that everyone° now needs to apply and that the discount will no longer be paid automatically as before?
  
  

[PS I plucked up the courage to call. At the end of the robot introduction, I was told “To speak to an advisor, press 1”. I waited for more options, but none came. I didn’t want to speak to anyone, so I did nothing. The call eventually ended by itself. I tried again, and this time pressed 1. The call ended immediately.

After several more tries, I got some music on hold and then a voice telling me to hang on. I did, and eventually (23 minutes later) ended up talking to a very personable young man called Sam. He asked some questions about me including the ones the letter had said he would, and then one I wasn’t prepared for: “What’s your MPAN?” No problem, of course.

[o]  I then asked why we had to go through this performance, and he explained that the system required it to make sure nothing had changed. Fair enough, so perhaps not everyone will be subjected to this indignity, if it only happens only every few years.  

When I complained about having no alternative to using the telephone, he asked how I would prefer to be contacted and offered email as an option, which of course I accepted with thanks. If they had done this from the start, it would have saved a lot of his time, my time and anguish, and minimized the potential for errors. I don’t understand why they didn’t just prepare a web form for me to fill in. 

Now I have to wait and see whether the discount turns up, meanwhile paying a Direct Debit that would see me still in credit by more than 35% of my annual bill at the end of my contract.

Hey @Firedog 

As far as I’m aware unless I’m reading wrong only Scottish Broader need to apply

I’ve read through the terms & conditions on the website

Eligibility for the Warm Home Discount

Following Government changes to the scheme in 2022, eligibility for the Warm Home Discount depends on where you live.

• I live in England or Wales
• I live in Scotland

England or Wales

If you live in England or Wales you don’t need to apply for the Warm Home Discount but you will need to meet the eligibility criteria set by the Government. This is split into two Core Groups:

• Core Group 1 - for people who get Guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Core Group 2 - for people who get qualifying means-tested benefits or tax credits

The eligibility qualifying date for both groups is 11th August 2024. The Government will write to benefit claimants between October and December 2024.

What do I do if I don't get a letter?

Core Group 1

To be considered for the discount:

• You or your partner were named on the domestic electricity bill on 11 August 2024.
• You were supplied by OVO on the qualifying date. If you were supplied by another supplier participating in the scheme on the qualifying date, that supplier will be told to give you the discount even if we're now supplying you.
• You or your partner got the Guaranteed element of Pension Credit on the qualifying date.

Core Group 2

To be considered for the discount:

• You or your partner were named on the domestic electricity bill on 11 August 2024.

• You were supplied by OVO on the qualifying date. If you were supplied by another supplier participating in the scheme on the qualifying date, that supplier will be told to give you the discount even if we're now supplying you.

• You or your partner receive the following qualifying means-tested benefits or tax credits:

  • Housing Benefit

  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

  • Income Support

  • The 'Savings Credit' part of Pension Credit

  • Universal Credit

    You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain level and you get either:

  • Child Tax Credit

  • Working Tax Credit

• Your property has a high energy cost score. This is partly based on details of your property like its type, how old it is, and the overall floor size etc. The Department for Works & Pensions (DWP) will work with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to work out your property energy score. The Government will write to you if they need more information.

Scotland

If you live in Scotland, there are two groups:

• Core group - you won't need to apply, but you must meet eligibility criteria.
• Broader group - If you would like to apply for the WHD Scotland Broader Group, please fill in this form here.

Core Group

To be considered for the discount:

• You or your partner were named on the domestic electricity bill on 11 August 2024.
• You were supplied by OVO on the qualifying date. If you were supplied by another supplier participating in the scheme on the qualifying date, that supplier will be told to give you the discount even if we're now supplying you.
• You or your partner got the Guaranteed element of Pension Credit on the qualifying date.

The eligibility qualifying date is 11th August 2024. The Government will write to benefit claimants between October and December 2024.

What do I do if I don't get a letter?

Broader Group

You can check the 2024/25 eligibility criteria for the discount as part of the Broader group. If you would like to apply for the WHD Scotland Broader Group, please fill in this form here.

Thanks, also for updating the dates 🙂

Me too, and it’s the same at the gov.uk site:

• You’ll usually get the discount automatically if you’re eligible. You only need to apply if you’re on a low income in Scotland - contact your energy supplier to apply.

This is what I got this morning:
  

Why do ‘usually’ and ‘normally’ et sim. never apply to me?   

I can’t speak for HMRC have you called them? They might just want to confirm some extra details with you @Firedog 

There is reference on our website about a letter from HMRC this must be it.

I don’t think HMRC are involved at all in my case. I don’t think I’ve had any dealings with them since I left the Army more than half a century ago!

Thinking about this overnight, I came to the conclusion that DWP are grasping a rare opportunity with the introduction of means-testing the WHD. It’s my understanding that means-tested benefits are often more-or-less ‘award and forget’, with the onus on the beneficiary to keep them informed of any change in circumstances which might affect eligibility. Of course, there will be those who ‘forget’ and continue to receive a benefit to which they might no longer be entitled. Means-testing WHD gives them a chance just to check (hence the scary wording) that all is as it should be, perhaps for those who haven’t been tested for some years. I understand that this is what the ‘U’ at the beginning of the reference number on the letter means: Unvalidated.

This is well-explained in the updated Help guide:
 

It would be even better if it made clear that this could happen even though the customer had previously received an automatic rebate, as the letter has it. 

This appears to be, then, one of the Government’s ‘enhanced information-gathering powers’ used to detect benefit fraud, which costs the taxpayer £10 billion a year, and for that we should be grateful. 

Hi @Firedog,

I understand your frustration. I’m afraid that the Warm Home Discount is a Government led scheme so we’re limited in how we can help in this case. We’ll just make sure to keep our threads up to date with the best advice to avoid any confusion.

Hopefully the rest of the process goes smoothly for you.

I wasn’t asking for help! I was pointing out that the article contains some information which may confuse some customers who’ve not previously had to apply for this discount. It certainly had me confused.

I just hope that anyone reading this article will scroll down a bit and come to realize that not every eligible customer will get away without doing anything.

Thanks for your concern, though 🙏🏻