Warm Home Discount Scheme

(asked on 30th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to bring forward the payment date for recipients of the Warm Home Discount who are not in receipt of Pension Credit, to account for increased utility costs arising as a result of the coivd-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Kwasi Kwarteng Portrait
Kwasi Kwarteng
This question was answered on 8th December 2020

Participating energy suppliers are obligated to pay their customers by the end of March 2021, however they are encouraged to make these payments as soon as the relevant checks on eligible customers have been completed.

Administering the Warm Home Discount is a large undertaking. We estimate that around 2.2 million households will receive a rebate this winter with around 1.2 million applying via the Broader Group. Due to the volume of rebates and the time needed for the implementation process outlined above, it would not be possible to bring forward the delivery timetable for this scheme year.

In addition, the Voluntary Agreement that BEIS negotiated in March with energy suppliers remains in force, where suppliers agreed to a set of principles to support customers impacted by Covid-19 who may be struggling with energy bills and help to keep them on supply.

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