Low income households to get lower energy bills due to Warm Home Discount scheme

Close to 2 million low-income and vulnerable households are going to have £140 slashed off their energy bills thanks to the government's Warm Home Discount scheme, the DECC has recentlyannounced.

Changes to the scheme will mean an additional 70,000 struggling families, disabled customers and other vulnerable people are eligible to apply. This rebate will help them heat their homes for less, giving them the help they need and money off their bills next winter.

The Warm Home Discount was introduced by the government in April 2011 and is administered by energy suppliers to provide one-off rebates on the electricity bills of households that need it most in England, Scotland and Wales.

This winter alone more than 2 million people benefitted from £310 million of assistance through the Warm Home Discount. This is on top of £2.15 billion paid out to 9 million households under the Winter Fuel Payments scheme this year, and over half a billion pounds invested in energy efficiency schemes over three years.

The government consulted key stakeholders on the changes to the Warm Home Discount. Lily Caprani, Director of Policy at The Children's Society, said:

"The government's extension of the Warm Home Discount for another year is an important step for the huge numbers of families struggling to keep their children warm this winter.

Low income families with disabled children and those with children under five will benefit from the decision to standardise access to this discount across suppliers — action that The Children's Society has been campaigning for."