Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills

You might be able to get help if you’re struggling to afford your energy bills or top up your prepayment meter. The help you get depends on:

• how you pay for your energy

• the type of energy you use

• if you claim benefits

Check if something is an energy scam

Some scammers are pretending to be from energy companies to get your personal information.

If you think something might be a scam: 

• don’t give out any personal information or bank details

• don’t use any contact details from the possible scam

You can check if something is a scam.

Check if you can get a Winter Fuel Payment

If you’ve reached State Pension age and get certain benefits, you might be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment. This is an annual one-off payment to help you pay for heating during the winter.

You’ll get the payment if you or your partner get one of these benefits:

• Pension Credit

• Universal Credit

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income Support

• Child Tax Credit

• Working Tax Credit

You’ll get £200 if you’re aged under 80 or £300 if you’re over 80 years old. 

If you’re eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, you’ll get a letter in October or November each year saying how much you’ll get. You’ll usually be paid automatically in November or December. 

If you don’t get a letter by early December and you think you're eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, you can make a claim. You must make your claim before 31 March 2025. Check how to make a claim for a Winter Fuel Payment on GOV.UK.

Check if you can get a Warm Home Discount

If you get benefits, you might be able to get £150 off your electricity bill or £150 added to your prepayment meter. You’ll get the payment by 31 March 2025. You don’t need to apply for the scheme - payments are automatic.

If you got the Warm Home Discount last winter and your situation hasn’t changed, you should get it again.

If you didn’t get it last winter, you should check if:

•  you’ll be eligible this year - it's based on any benefits you get

• your supplier is part of the scheme

Check if your benefits might make you eligible

You should get the Warm Home Discount if you or your partner you live with got the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit on 11 August 2024. If you're not sure you get the Guarantee Credit element, check your latest Pension Credit statement.

You might also be able to get the Warm Home Discount if you get a different benefit and the government decides you have 'high energy costs'. 

High energy costs are based on the type of property you live in, not how much you spend. The government will work this out automatically - you don't need to contact them.

If you have high energy costs, you’ll get the Warm Home Discount if you or your partner got any of the following benefits on 11 August 2024:

• Universal Credit

• Pension Credit Savings Credit

• Housing Benefit

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Income Support

• Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits - your income must also be below an income limit that depends on the number of adults and children in your household 

Your Tax Credit certificate will show your income and the number of adults and children included in your assessment.

The amounts are for your income each year before any tax and deductions are taken off. Your total income doesn’t include income from:

• Child Tax Credit 

• Working Tax Credit

• Disability Living Allowance

• Personal Independence Payment

• Attendance Allowance

You can check if you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount on GOV.UK.

Check if your supplier is part of the scheme

You’ll only get the Warm Home Discount if your supplier is part of the scheme. Check if your supplier is part of the Warm Home Discount Scheme on GOV.UK.

If you're eligible for the payment the government will send you a letter between the middle of October 2024 and early January 2025. 

The government might ask you for more information to check if you're eligible. You must send them the information by 28 February 2025 - this is when the scheme closes. If you send it by post make sure it gets there by the deadline.

Check if you can get a fuel voucher

If you can't afford to top up your prepayment meter, you might be able to get a fuel voucher.

You'll get the voucher as a code in a letter, text message or email.

You can use it to add credit to your gas card or electricity key. If you don't have one of these, contact your supplier to get one.

Your local council might be able to help you get a fuel voucher - find your local council on GOV.UK. If you’re still not sure if you can get a voucher, get help from an adviser.

You can use a fuel voucher at:

• a shop signed up to PayPoint - find a shop near you on the PayPoint website

• a Post Office or shop signed up to Payzone - find a Post Office or shop near you on the Payzone website

To use your voucher you’ll need to take:

• the code and instructions

• some form of ID - for example, your passport or a bill with your name and address

If you have a smart prepayment meter you can also add the fuel voucher credit to your account online. To do this, follow the instructions on your voucher.

Check your fuel voucher to see when it expires. You might have to use it within 15 days.

If you have problems using your voucher, contact the organisation that gave it to you - you should be able to find their contact information on the instructions.

If you don’t use gas or electricity to heat your home

If you can’t afford to buy fuel, you might be able to get financial help. You might be eligible if you:

• rely on oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal or wood as your main source of heating

• aren’t on the gas grid

You’ll need to show that you can't heat your home because you can't afford to buy fuel - or you might not be able to afford it soon.

Your local Citizens Advice will need to apply for extra financial help for you.

If you think you're eligible for help, talk to an adviser.

Check what other help you can get if you use alternative fuels.

Check if you can sign up to the Priority Services Register

You can get extra help from your gas and electricity supplier by signing up to the Priority Services Register. You can sign up if you’re either:

• of State Pension age

• disabled or have a long-term health condition

• considered ‘vulnerable’ by your energy network

You could be classed as vulnerable if you're disabled or have a long-term health condition. Your energy network might also consider you vulnerable if you:

• don't speak or read English well

• have children under 5 years old or are pregnant

• have no sense of smell or would struggle to smell gas

Check if you're eligible to sign up to the Priority Services Register.

If you’re on the Priority Services Register your energy supplier can:

• make your call a priority when you contact them

• give their engineers a password if they visit or contact you - so you know they’re genuine

• move your prepayment meter if you struggle to get to it

Signing up to the Priority Services Register 

You’ll need to fill out the form on your electricity operator’s website - this is who owns and operates the electricity cables in your area. Your electricity operator is different from your electricity supplier, who sends your bills.

You can check who your electricity network operator is on the Power Cut 105 website. You'll need to know the postcode of your property. 

Grants to help pay off energy debt

If you’re behind with your energy bills, you might be able to get a grant to help you pay off your debt. This might be from your energy company or a charitable trust.

Check which grants you can apply for.

Grants for energy-saving home improvements

You might be able to get help with the cost of things like insulation, a new boiler or improvements to your heating.

Check if you can get help making energy-saving improvements to your home.

Local energy grants

You might be able to find grants or schemes run by your local council. You can try searching on your local council’s website for energy grants. Find your local council's website on GOV.UK.

Check if you can get a Cold Weather Payment

If you get certain benefits you might get a Cold Weather Payment when it's very cold. This is a one-off payment to help pay for extra heating costs.

You’ll get Cold Weather Payments between 1 November and 31 March. You'll get a payment each time the average temperature in your area drops below zero degrees Celsius for 7 days in a row.

You’ll only be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment if you already get:

• Pension Credit

• Income Support

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Universal Credit

• support for mortgage interest

If you're eligible, you'll get paid automatically. Check if you can get a Cold Weather Payment on GOV.UK.

If you use an oxygen concentrator

If you use an oxygen concentrator for a disability or health condition, you can get money back for the electricity it uses. This is called a ‘rebate’.

You should get the rebate every 3 months. The person who installs your concentrator should tell you how to get the rebate.

If your rebate hasn’t been set up, contact the supplier of your concentrator. Your supplier depends on where you live. If you live in:

• London or the South West, contact Air Liquide Healthcare on their website

• the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, or the West Midlands, contact Baywater Healthcare on their website

• the East of England or East Midlands, contact BOC Home Oxygen Service on their website

• the North East or the South East, contact Dolby Vivisol Home Respiratory Care on their website

If you’re struggling with living costs

If you’re struggling with money, there are things you can do to save on your regular living costs. Check what to do if you need help with living costs.

If you’re finding it hard to pay your bills, you can get help. Find out more about getting help with your bills.

You can also get help with debts.

If you're struggling to pay for food, find out how to get help from a food bank.

If you need a warm, welcoming space

‘Warm welcome’ spaces are public places that anyone can use - for example a community space like a library. They’re free, warm, welcoming and safe.

You can ask your local council about warm welcome spaces near you. You can find out how to contact your local council on GOV.UK.

Some spaces are only open in winter and some are open all year. Each space is different, but they might offer things like:

• hot food and drink

• activities and the chance to learn new things

• a place to meet people in your community

• access to the internet and help to use a computer

If you’re finding things difficult

Your mental health is as important as your physical health. You should talk to your GP if your money problems are affecting your mental health.

You can find other ways to get help with your mental health on the Mind website.

Samaritans

If you need to speak to someone right now, you can call the Samaritans for free.

Helpline: 116 123 (Monday to Sunday at any time)

Welsh Language Line: 0808 164 0123 (Monday to Sunday 7pm to 11pm)

Shout

You can also text 'SHOUT' to 85258 to start a conversation with a trained Shout 85258 volunteer. Texts are free, anonymous and confidential from anywhere in the UK.

If you think it's an emergency

If you think your life or someone else’s is at risk, you should call 999 or go to A&E if you can.

You can also find a list of urgent mental health services on the Mind website.

Further help

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone or online chat.