Households given free £150 from energy firm this week | Personal Finance | Finance
Thousands of UK households will be receiving a £150 energy credit boost this month thanks to a Government-backed initiative. Utilita Energy, a major electricity and gas supplier, confirmed it started transferring Warm Home Discount Scheme payments to customers with smart meters from January 7.
The scheme is a one-off £150 discount off some households’ bill, paid by electricity suppliers. The firm says it will continue making the transfers to people with smart meters throughout the month, meaning yours could be on the way if you haven’t received it already. Those without smart prepay meters get the £150 payment at some point before March, when the scheme ends. This includes people who pay by direct debit, who will get an automatic bill credit, and people with non-smart prepayment meters, who will receive vouchers in the post.
Eligibility depends on where you live. In England and Wales, you’ll qualify if you either get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, or are on a low income.
If you live in Scotland you must either get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or be on a low income in Scotland and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme.
Eligible households no longer have to apply. Utilita discounts have been issued later this year due to a new round of changes, pushing more people into eligibility for financial aid.
The firm explained: “Because more of our customers qualify for the Warm Home Discount compared to many other suppliers, we need to pay out a higher amount upfront.
“This is normal and expected – but this year we’re paying a lot more customers, so we need to receive funding to be able to make payments to customers.
“This year, The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have set the dates that we’ll get these funds as January 2026.
“That timing determines when we’re able to make payments to you – which is why we can’t send a first instalment in December as we have in previous years.
“We know how important this support is, especially through the winter. That’s why we’ve been working closely with Government and Ofgem for months to minimise delays and make sure you still receive the full amount as quickly as possible.”
Eligibility for the Warm Home Discount is decided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), not providers.
If you believe you meet the criteria but haven’t gotten a letter or notification yet, you’ll need to contact the DWP helpline to check or challenge the decision.
You may be asked to confirm details about your household, benefits, or energy account before a decision can be reviewed. The helpline number is 0800 030 9322.
