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Updated on 15/10/24 by Emmanuelle_OVO:

 

What is the Warm Home Discount (WHD)?

 

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 discount given to eligible domestic electricity customers to help with their energy costs. It's usually paid between October and March of each scheme year. It's a Government scheme funded by participating energy suppliers like us. It’s designed to help people who need it most.

 

The Warm Home Discount (Broader Group) has now opened to applications from our customers based in Scotland.

 

Customers can apply online here. 

 

Broader Group Eligibility Criteria can be found here.
 

We encourage all customers who believe they fall into the Broader group (Scotland Only) to apply online via the OVO and Boost websites. 

 

However, If a customer needs some assistance completing their WHD application please contact our support team. 

 

OVO Broader Group: https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/warm-home-discount-scheme 

 

Boost Broader Group: https://www.boostpower.co.uk/help/support/how-do-i-get-the-warm-home-discount 

 

Ways to get financial support

 

If you’re struggling financially or you’re worried about your energy bills, we’re here to support you. Find out about the different ways we can help here.

 

How do I register for the Priority Services Register (PSR)?

 

Check out the Customer Support package here: https://winter-support-package.ovoenergy.com/

​​​​​​

 

What is the Warm Home Discount (WHD)?

 

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 discount given to eligible domestic electricity customers to help with their energy costs. It's usually paid between October and March of each scheme year. It's a Government scheme funded by participating energy suppliers like us. It’s designed to help people who need it most.

 

Key changes in numbers

  • WHD spending is increasing from £350 million to £475 million across all suppliers 

  • 780,000 more households will receive the rebate

  • 560,000 more fuel poor households will get help 

  • The Warm Home discount rebate is increasing from £140 to £150

  • 59% of recipients under the new scheme will be fuel poor compared to around 47% of recipients for the current scheme

 

These changes will apply for the next four years. 

 

England and 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 13 August 2023. The Government will write to benefit claimants between October and December 2023.

 

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

In some cases the Government will write to you to request more information. It's important you give them this information by 28 February 2024 to be considered for the discount. We can only apply the discount once we’ve been told to by the Government.

 

Core Group 1

To be considered for the discount:

  • You or you partner were named on the domestic electricity bill on 13 August 2023.
  • You were supplied by part of the OVO Family on the 13th August. If you were supplied by another supplier participating in the scheme on the 13th August, 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 you partner were named on the domestic electricity bill on 13 August 2023.

  • You were supplied by part of the OVO Family on the 13th August. If you were supplied by another supplier participating in the scheme on the 13th August, that supplier will be told to give you the discount even if we're now supplying you.

  • You or you 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.

 

Please note that OVO’s Support team aren’t in a position to advise you on your benefits or warm home discount eligibility. If you’re not sure of any of the details above, Citizens Advice are well place to offer help and support.

 

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 - you'll need to apply for the discount which will be applied on a first come, first served basis.

 

Core Group

To be considered for the discount:

  • You or you partner were named on the domestic electricity bill on 13 August 2023.
  • You were supplied by part of the OVO Family on the 13th August. If you were supplied by another supplier participating in the scheme on the 13th August, 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 13 August 2023. The Government will write to benefit claimants between October and December 2023.

 

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

In some cases the Government will write to you to request more information. It's important you give them this information by 28 February 2024 to be considered for the discount. We can only apply the discount once we’ve been told to by the Government.

 

Broader Group

 

Eligibility for the discount as part of the Broader group is on a first come first served basis. You can apply if you if you live in Scotland and don’t meet the Core Group eligibility.

Apply online (Scottish Broader Group)

 

You can also check out our own dedicated webpage with all of the most up to date information on the Warm Home Discount: https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/warm-home-discount-scheme.

 

Ways to get financial support

If you’re struggling financially or you’re worried about your energy bills, we’re here to support you. Find out about the different ways we can help here.

How do I register for the Priority Services Register (PSR)?

Check out the Customer Support package here: https://winter-support-package.ovoenergy.com/

My supplier for gas and electricity is OVO for the last 6 years I usually get the WHD every year and was told I had to register this year I put in my ID and Postcode and it tells me I do not have my electricity with OVO I tried loads of times during the day and rang them and was told to keep trying

I registered on another page that I found in the end 

 

I just tried it again just to see and it still says I don’t have electricity with OVO LOL 

Nobody has taken over my supply it’s a technical issue my gas has now reappeared back into my account explaining that it was a technical issue about a new supplier has taken over and is being sorted.others have had the same problem too

Ignore, apologises

Thanks @stevebethere 

 

Yes it sounds like you were one of around 15,000 members contacted about your gas supply switching away. This was wrong, and was related to a back end change in how the gas gets transported to you. 

 

It’s good to know this was the cause of this WHD application error message. Got your application in now, @stevebethere @Kiki ? 

Hi 

I had to do it via the form through FAQ’s section but i just tried again on the other one where you enter member ID and postcode to see if it is now working but it isn’t and still get this below

 

Sorry – sadly we’re not supplying your electricity, which means you can’t apply for a Warm Home Discount with us. (Here’s more about who can get it.)

 

Which is obviously wrong 

 

Thanks for asking 

Yes, thank you Tim.  I was concerned that I got no reply about my application after sending it in, but it did finally come through.

 

The reason for my concern was that even though I had registered to be told when applications opened I only found out about it yesterday when I logged into here and saw this post. Not getting any kind of notification when registering for this years applications had also also already thrown me a little as I wasn’t sure if I had done so earlier in the year. Having no record of it in my emails, I did register a couple of months ago just to make sure and then wonder about things when I got no reply through, but then saw in here that OVO were not notifying back that they had received the registered details from us.

I checked my spam folder yesterday and I have definitely not had any email through informing me about the process at all this year, whereas I usually get one straight away when it first starts. So I have no idea why I have no had anything through from OVO this time round? I know in this case it is only three days later, and everything managed to go through fine for me. But if I wasn’t the kind of person to pop my head in here occasionally I may have missed it completely and I would have found things a lot more difficult this winter. 

It’s OK Tim that form now works 

 

Thanks

Good to hear, @stevebethere @Kiki 

 

FYI if you’ve registered an interest in the scheme, I know these emails aren’t sent out to everyone at exactly the same time. This is to avoid possible issues caused with high traffic to a web page as everyone who gets the email opens the link at the same time. Instead, this is staggered over a period of a few days. 

 

If you hadn’t have already applied, I’m sure this email would have been sent out to you by now...

Thanks I did it yesterday and got a reply within an hour then couple hours later I got the email to say it was done so all good now.

 

Thanks for your replies 

Hi @Tim_OVO and @Pierssy 

 

Thanks for the info. the wording has changed and now ask if anyone in the household has disabilities and relies on electrical equipment so I have managed to apply and been accepted which is one less thing to worry about. 

I have recently migrated from SSE to OVO.  Will I have to reapply for the Warm Home discount I used to receive from SSE, later in the year?

Hi @Katie B B B , it may be a wait and see situation as the government has not set out the scheme for next winter yet 

https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

@BPLightlog

Thank you for your reply.  If the government were to go ahead, then do I have to reapply? 

If it’s like last year was, then it’ll likely be automated again unless you’re in Scotland. But please don’t rely on this.

Has the application form for the 2023/2024 Warm Home Discount been released yet?

I’d say another month or so at most and it should be out.

This is the government page for the scheme which indicates an October date

https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-eligible-for-warm-home-discount

I am on Income-based Jobseeker Allowance. Do I qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme?

The best way to find out is via https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-eligible-for-warm-home-discount

We can’t tell you here as it’s… Complicated...

Good morning I got an email to say I would get the £150 warm home discount  on the 9th of January  but it has not been added  to my account do I need to do anything or will it be added shortly  
Many thanks 
Gary

If you have Smart Meters on PAYG, it should be added to them automatically. If you’re on PAYM, it’ll go to your account credit

Thanks for the reply 

Can OVO take my WHD for a debt I didn't know I had until I left OVO

Hi @CathyD ,

Warm Home Discount payments are made to the account balance held with OVO - they do NOT go direct to your bank account. If there’s a debt on the account, WHD MIGHT get used to help pay it down. If it ends up wiping the debt, you get to keep the rest for sure, otherwise it just reduces the debt.

Worth bearing in mind that if you owed money to OVO, you’d have had to pay it anyway - using WHD towards it can sometimes save you the trouble and/or hassle of having to do so.

Hi @CathyD, Yes, as @Blastoise186 says.  

Incidentally, there’s a good uswitch guide 

Warm Home Discount scheme 2023-24 - Uswitch

which opens by saying “The Warm Home Discount is a government programme that provides a one-off rebate to the electricity bills of bcertain eligible] UK homes…“.

 

The guide also lists other possible discounts that may be relevant for anybody finding themselves presented with large or unexpected energy bills.

 

And your present supplier, just like OVO, will have good advice on how to obtain their help for any unexpected debit balance that’s been carried over from your OVO days.

 

All the best….

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