Warm Home Discount Scheme

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Support for vulnerable customers

The Warm Home Discount is a programme of support aimed at households who may struggle with their energy bills. The scheme was introduced by Government on 1st April 2011 and will run until 2021. Electricity suppliers will deliver the scheme and will primarily help qualifying customers by providing rebates on electricity accounts to help when bills may be higher over the winter period.

Some customers will qualify automatically for a rebate and if you do, you'll receive a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions telling you this. Otherwise you can apply to ScottishPower for the rebate if you meet certain eligibility criteria. Find more information on whether you qualify for the scheme below, in the section titled ‘Are you eligible for a Warm Home Discount rebate during 2018/2019?'.

• In the eighth year of the scheme commencing on 15th August 2018 the annual rebate will be £140.
• The £140 rebate is inclusive of VAT so, if you qualify for the scheme, the rebate will show on your bill as a credit amount of £133.33, before VAT is applied.
• If you have a Prepayment electricity meter you'll receive a bar coded voucher to the value of £140.
• If you've applied for the rebate payment and are eligible to receive it, your rebate will be paid by 31st March 2019.

Are you eligible for a Warm Home Discount rebate during 2018/19?

Customers who automatically qualify for the Warm Home Discount Core Group rebate:

If you're a ScottishPower domestic customer on 8th July 2018 (the qualifying date) and are receiving:

The Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well)

You don't need to apply to receive the rebate as you'll receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions during 2018 confirming that you qualify for the Warm Home Discount rebate and advising you what to do next.

If you or your partner were in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit on 8th July 2018 and believe you may qualify for the rebate but have not received a letter by 7th December 2018, please contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline. 

Telephone: 0800 7310214 , Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. This helpline is for Pension Credit Guarantee Credit customers only.

 The deadline date to claim a Warm Home Discount Scheme rebate is the 28^th February 2019. Please ensure you contact the helpline prior to this date in order for you to not miss out.

Customers who do not automatically qualify for the Core Group Rebate may apply for the Warm Home Discount Broader Group Rebate if they meet certain criteria;

To qualify for the ScottishPower Warm Home Discount Broader Group rebate, you must be a domestic ScottishPower account holder and you or another member of your household must be in receipt of:

• Income Related Employment Support Allowance;
• Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance;
• Income Support;
• Universal Credit and has earned income between zero and £1,349 in at least one of the twelve preceding assessment periods.

or if the following applies you may also qualify:

• Your total gross household income is less than £16,190 and your household also meets at least one of the following

There is a child permanently living in your household who:

• is 5 years or under (born on or after 1st April 2013);
• is 18 years or under in full time education (born on or after 1st April 2000);
• is entitled to free school meals;

You or another member of your household:

• receives Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit which includes a disability element or severe disability element, disabled child element or severely disabled child element or family element or Universal Credit Equivalent;
• receives an Income Related Benefit which includes a disabled child premium, disability premium, severe disability premium, enhanced disability premium or Universal Credit Equivalent;
• receives Pensioner Premium, Higher Pensioner Premium or Enhanced Pensioner Premium;
• is in receipt of the limited Capability for work element and work-related activity a construed in accordance with regulations 39 and 40 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013(a);
• is in receipt of the disabled child element;
• receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP); Incapacity Benefit or Attendance Allowance;
• is aged 64 or over;
• your household's annual energy spend is more than 10% of the annual income.

If you or someone in your household meets the Broader Group criteria above, the relevant person can apply for a Warm Home Discount Broader Group rebate. You can apply online, by following the link below or contact us directly.

Apply for Warm Home Discount

Please note, to verify eligibility for the Warm Home Discount Scheme, ScottishPower may:

i. Share the information contained in your application with the Department for Work and Pensions to confirm you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit,

ii. Alternatively the applicant may be contacted by letter by ScottishPower or a company working on ScottishPower's behalf and asked to provide documentary evidence of the benefits received. If the required evidence is not provided within the timescales requested, the rebate will not be paid.

For applicants who apply and qualify for the rebate, the rebate will be paid by 31st March 2019. If your circumstances change after you apply you must let us know as you may no longer be eligible for the rebate.

Please note, that the household must have a ScottishPower domestic electricity account when the Broader Group rebate is paid. Only one rebate will be made per electricity account.

If you change energy supplier between applying for the Warm Home Discount scheme and the rebate being paid, you will no longer be eligible for a rebate under the ScottishPower Warm Home Discount Scheme and you will need to apply to your new energy supplier for a rebate under the Warm Home Discount scheme. Eligibility criteria might differ between energy suppliers. If you receive both your electricity and gas from ScottishPower, on receipt of payment you may ask for the Warm Home Discount to be transferred on to your gas account.