Help with energy bills: every scheme you can claim in 2026/27
Billions of pounds of support go unclaimed every year — often because the schemes are a confusing patchwork with names that keep changing. Here's every one, who it's for, and where to check, in plain English.
By Tom Calder · Updated 13 October 2026 · Sourced to GOV.UK
If you or a relative is over State Pension age, check Pension Credit before anything else. Around a third of eligible people don't claim it — and it's the key that unlocks the Warm Home Discount, Cold Weather Payments, a free TV licence and more. See if you may be eligible →
If you're over State Pension age
Tops up a low income to £238/week (single) — and unlocks the Warm Home Discount, Cold Weather Payments, a free TV licence and more. A third of eligible people miss it.
The cap rose 4% to £1,723 on 1 October. What January's cap could be, with every forecast dated and sourced, and what Ofgem sets when it announces it.
£100–£300 towards heating, paid automatically to most pensioners. The opt-out deadline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (11:59pm, 20 September 2026) has passed: if your own income is over £35,000 and you didn't opt out, you'll still get it and HMRC will take it back, usually through your tax code or Self Assessment. You can't return it yourself. Entitlement to Pension Credit or certain other benefits in the qualifying week exempts you.
If you're on a low income or benefits
£150 off your electricity bill. The rules were widened in 2025, so around six million households now qualify — usually automatically in England & Wales.
£25 for each freezing seven-day spell (England & Wales). Automatic and postcode-triggered. Scotland gets a guaranteed £62 instead.
The fund that replaced the Household Support Fund in April 2026 — help with food and energy through your council. The one people miss because the name changed.
If you'd need extra help in a power cut
Not a payment, but worth doing: the Priority Services Register is a free service from energy suppliers and network operators for people in vulnerable circumstances — older people, anyone with a disability or long-term condition, families with young children, or someone in a temporary crisis. It can get you advance notice of planned power cuts, priority support in an outage, help reading your meter, bills in accessible formats and a nominated contact.
You join free by contacting your energy supplier and your regional electricity network operator directly. It's especially worth having if losing power would put someone at risk — see our power-cut guide and live power-cut tracker.
Free alerts for your home
Home Alerts emails you when a power cut, a Met Office warning or a flood warning covers your postcode. Free for your own home. Sign up in a minute.
Start free →Common questions
What help is there with energy bills in 2026?
Several schemes, depending on your circumstances: the £150 Warm Home Discount, the £100–£300 Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners, £25 Cold Weather Payments in freezing weather (a guaranteed £62 Winter Heating Payment in Scotland), Pension Credit for low-income pensioners, and the council-run Crisis and Resilience Fund for hardship. Many are automatic, but Pension Credit and some others need you to check and claim.
Which schemes do I have to apply for?
Most bill support is automatic if you're on the right benefits. The big exceptions are Pension Credit (you must claim it — and a third of eligible people don't), the Warm Home Discount 'broader group' in Scotland, and the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which you apply for through your council. Pension Credit is the one most worth checking, because it unlocks so much else.
How do I know what I'm entitled to?
Start with Pension Credit if you're over State Pension age — the free GOV.UK calculator is anonymous and takes about ten minutes, and a successful claim unlocks other help. For a full picture, a free benefits calculator from Age UK, Turn2us or Citizens Advice checks everything you might be missing.
This is general information, not a benefits assessment — eligibility depends on your own circumstances, so always check on GOV.UK or with a free adviser such as Age UK, Turn2us or Citizens Advice. Figures verified July 2026; Winter Fuel Payment details rechecked 10 September 2026. PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
