Energy discounts and schemes

The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme that gives extra help to people struggling with their energy bills. The scheme means that, if you’re getting Pension Credit or are a low-income household, you could qualify for a one-off discount of £140 on your electricity bill, usually made between October and March. This doesn’t affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.

Is the LECCY part of the Warm Home Discount Scheme?

Yes, the LECCY is part of the Warm Home Discount Scheme for the Core Group. As a compulsory small supplier, we must offer the Warm Home Discount as we have now met the threshold of 200,000 meter points.

Although, as part of our mission to eradicate fuel poverty, in 2018 we opted into the scheme voluntarily before reaching the threshold.

Eligibility

You qualify for the discount with the LECCY if on 7 July 2019 all of the following applied:

• your energy was supplied by us on this date
• your name (or your partner’s) was on the bill
• you were getting the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well)

If you meet the criteria for the Warm Home Discount rebate under the Core Group, you will receive a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions letting you know that you qualify.

All eligible customers should receive their letter by the middle of December. If you think you are eligible for the Warm Home Discount but have not received your letter by then, you can contact the DWP Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline on , Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

For more information on this scheme and to find out if you’re eligible visit GOV.UK.

How do you get your Warm Home Discount rebate?

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will contact you by December, if you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount under the Core Group.  At that point you will receive the rebate automatically.

When and how will the rebate be paid?

We will begin to issue the rebates between December and March.

The way that eligible customers will receive their rebate will depend on their payment method:

• Credit – The rebate will be applied as a credit to your account.
• Traditional Pre-Payment – We will send a voucher that you can redeem to top up your meter, the Post Office facilitates this.
• Smart Pre-Payment – We will apply the credit to your meter.

If you wish, you could split your rebate across your gas and electricity account or entirely on your gas.

What happens if you are eligible, but have not received a letter?

You will not receive a letter from the Deparment of Work and Pensions until October – December 2019.

However, if you get to December and still have not received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions stating that you will receive the Warm Home Discount, then please contact the Warm Home Discount Team.

Warm Home Discount Team
DWP Telephone:
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm

Warm Home Discount Team
Blue Zone, Ground Floor Phase 1
Peel Park
Brunel Way
Blackpool
FY4 5ES

The LECCY aim to give all our customers an excellent service and we’ll do everything we can to meet your needs.

Eligible customers can receive additional services in relation to their communication, access and safety needs. Please call customer services for further information.

Please note that the Warm Home Discount Scheme is administered by Robin Hood Energy.

Cold Weather Payments are made when the temperature outside is either recorded as, or forecast to be, an average of zero degrees celsius or below over seven consecutive days. You’ll get a payment of £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.

To qualify, you must get the State Pension or another social security benefit (but not Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit). To find out more, or to check your eligibility, visit the government’s Cold Weather Payment information pages.

You could get between £100 and £300 tax-free to help pay your heating bills if you were born on or before 5 July 1952. Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically between November and December if you get the State Pension or another social security benefit (but not Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit).

If you’re on certain benefits, you can arrange to pay your fuel arrears direct from your benefits if you’re having difficulties. This is called ‘third party deductions’.

To qualify you must be on one or more of the following benefits:

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit

Deductions are made each time your benefits are paid. £3.65 will be deducted from each benefit to pay off the debt you owe, plus an extra amount to cover your bills in the future.

Fuel direct is often cheaper and more convenient than a Pay-As-You-Go meter – and you won’t run out of gas or electricity.

The amount is decided by Jobcentre Plus or your pension centre, but if it’s going to be more than 25% of your benefits, you’ll be asked to agree to the deduction.

If it’s less than 25% of your benefits, the deduction can be made without you agreeing to it. You’ll be told what the deductions are going to be, and if they’re going to change.