Apply for Boost Warm Home Discount 2022/23 (check eligibility)

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Disclaimer: The information on this page was last updated on 20/12/2022, 17:18:07

Boost is one of the many energy providers working with the Warm Home Discount – as a part of the OVO group, it wouldn’t be fair if they didn’t. Keep reading to find out if you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount and how to save money this winter. As always, we’ve got you covered!

What is the Warm Home Discount?

The Warm Home Discount is a Government-led initiative set up in 2011 to bring us one step closer to ending fuel poverty. We all use more energy in the winter months, whether that’s by having the heating on or by being inside more with the lights on. With the Warm Home Discount, low-income and vulnerable households can take advantage of a £140 discount to go towards these higher energy bills.

If you’re eligible and accepted into the scheme, your £140 will be paid straight onto your electricity meter between October and March, however, you can also request it be put on your gas meter.

Eligibility criteria

If you’re eligible and have been accepted for the Warm Home Discount, you’ll be placed into one of two groups: the core group and the broader group. Which group you’re in depends on the circumstances for which you’re eligible.

Core group eligibility

If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you’ll be in the core group.

The core group don’t have to apply for the Boost Warm Home Discount because they’ll be accepted automatically. They’ll be sent a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions telling them that they’ll be receiving the discount and whether there’s anything else they need to do.

Broader group eligibility

Being accepted into the broader group isn’t as easy. There are certain benefits and support you need to be getting, and these vary by provider.

To be eligible for the Boost Warm Home Discount in the broader group, you:

• Receive Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or...
• Receive Income-related Employment and Support Allowance with a support component or...
• Receive Income-related Employment and Support Allowance and a member of the work-related activity group and...
• Are responsible for a child under 18 who is in full-time education
• Are exempt from NHS prescription charges due to chronic illness, pregnancy, or a MATEX/MEDEX certificate
• Receive Child Tax Credit which includes a disability or severe disability element for a child born before 1st April 2001
• Receive a disabled child premium
• Receive a disability, enhanced disability, or severe disability premium
• Receive a pensioner, higher pensioner, or enhanced pensioner premium
• Receive War Disablement pension
• Receive Industrial Injuries Benefit
• Have a child who is registered disabled

• Receive Universal Credit with a monthly household income of under £1349 before tax and deductions or...
• Receive Universal Credit and are not in work or self-employed and...
• Are responsible for a child under 5
• Are responsible for a child under 18 in full-time education
• Get the housing element as part of your Universal Credit
• Get the limited capability for work element as part of your Universal Credit
• Get the disabled child element of your Universal Credit
• Have a child who is registered disabled
• Are registered disabled and/or receive DLA or PIP
• Receive Child Tax Credit which includes a disability or severe disability element for a child born before 1st April 2001
• Receive a disability, enhanced disability, or severe disability premium
• Receive a pensioner, higher pensioner, or enhanced pensioner premium
• Receive War Disablement pension
• Receive Industrial Injuries Benefit

• Receive Child Tax Credit under an award based on an annual income of less than £16,190 per year and...
• Have parental responsibility for a child under 5 who usually lives with you
• Receive Child Tax Credit which includes a disability or severe disability element for a child born after 1st April 2002
• Receive a disability, enhanced, or severe disability premium
• Receive pensioner, higher pensioner, or enhanced pensioner premium
• Have a child who’s registered disabled
• Receive a disabled child premium
• Are exempt from NHS prescription charges due to chronic illness, pregnancy, or a MATEX/MEDEX certificate

• Have a total household income of less than £16,190 per year and...
• Are responsible for a child under 5
• Are responsible for a child under 18 who is in full-time education
• Have a child who is registered disabled
• Receive Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element for a child under 18
• Receive disabled child premium
• Are registered disabled and/or receive DLA or PIP
• Require constant care
• Rely on mains-powered medical equipment
• Have a long-term mental or physical illness
• Are exempt from NHS prescription charges due to chronic illness, pregnancy, or a MATEX/MEDEX certificate
• Have heating bills which are more than 10% of your gross household income

Which group are you in?

Now you know a bit more about the different groups, click below to find out how to claim.

Claim Boost Warm Home Discount in the core group

If you’re in the core group, you shouldn’t have to do anything to claim the Warm Home Discount. You’ll receive a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) telling you that you’ve been accepted into the scheme and your £140 will be paid onto your meter automatically by the end of March.

If you think you’re in the core group but haven’t received a letter by the end of December, you can call the Warm Home Discount team on 0800 731 0214 and they can help work out why you haven’t got your letter yet.

If you’ve received a letter but haven’t received your payment or it’s overdue, you can check your letter for a reference number – there might be something you have to clear up first.

If your reference number begins with ‘M’…

You shouldn’t have to do anything. Your discount will be automatically sent to your meter – sit tight!

If your reference number begins with ‘U’…

You haven’t received your payment because the DWP doesn’t have enough information on who your electricity supplier is. This is a really easy fix and can be sorted in minutes.

All you have to do is call the DWP on 0800 731 0214 and give them your MPAN and electricity account number, both of which you can find on your electricity bill.

You can also write to them at:
Warm Home Discount
Peel Park
Brunel Way
Blackpool
FY4 5ES

Claim Boost Warm Home Discount in the broader group

If you think you’re eligible for the Boost Warm Home Discount in the broader group, you’ll have to apply directly through Boost. Applications are generally accepted in the Autumn, however, it can vary by the provider every year.

Unlike the core group, there are only a limited number of discounts available for the broader group, so they’re given on a first-come, first-served basis. Because of this, it’s likely that the application window could close early if there are no discounts left.

It can take a few days for your application to be reviewed, and you might be asked for proof of eligibility before you’re accepted into the scheme.

Apply for the Boost Warm Home Discount

What happens if I switch providers after I apply?

If you’re in the core group, you’ll still be able to get your discount, even if your new provider doesn’t offer the Warm Home Discount. All you have to do is let the DWP know that you’ve switched and they’ll take care of the rest.

However, once again, it’s harder for the broader group. If you switch after you’ve been accepted into the scheme, you won’t be able to receive your discount from Boost. However, if your new provider offers the Warm Home Discount, you might still be able to get your discount from your new provider. Bear in mind that the eligibility criteria for the broader group is different for every provider so you might not be eligible any more if you switch.

Is the Warm Home Discount worth it?

We’re not asking if a free £140 is worth it, we want to know if the £140 from the Warm Home Discount is worth it – it might not be free!

Around half of the country are on a Standard Variable Tariff without even knowing it! This is the default and most expensive tariff available, and you’re normally automatically put onto one of these tariffs if your contract has ended or you’ve moved house. It’s these premium rates which are paying for your winter discount.

A lot of the time, you can save more than £140 by switching to a new provider, even one which doesn’t offer the Warm Home Discount. Take a look at the graph below to see where you could be saving:

*All quotes made on 05/09/2021 using 3,100 kWh of electricity and 12,500 kWh of gas per year in a London postcode with direct debit payment type.

For help switching energy providers, give Utility Switchboard a call on 020 3992 7717.

How can I still cut down on my winter energy bills if I’m not eligible for the Warm Home Discount?

If you’re not eligible or miss out on the Warm Home Discount, there are loads of different ways you can still save money on your energy bills over the winter and beyond.

By taking advantage of financial help and grants from the Affordable Warmth and ECO schemes, you could invest in more energy-efficient appliances or upgrade your home, and easily cut back on how much energy you’re using. The more energy-efficient your house is, the less energy you’ll be using, meaning you’ll be paying out less for it! Even something as simple as insulation can massively warm up your home, meaning you can leave the heating off for an extra couple of months.

If you keep your smart meter’s in-home display in a prominent place, you can become more aware of where your energy is going. It shows you your usage in real-time monetary terms to give you more of an understanding into how much different appliances cost to run.

Contact the Warm Home Discount team

For more information about the Warm Home Discount, you can contact the dedicated team with the details below.

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