All households with a domestic electricity connection in England, Scotland and Wales are eligible for the discount.

If your circumstances change, you’ll still get the discount if:

• you change your payment method
• you change your tariff
• you switch electricity supplier
• you move to a new address
• your supplier goes bust
• you’re in arrears on your electricity bill payments

The government has confirmed that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the 1% of households who are not eligible for the discount.

This includes households without a domestic electricity meter and a without a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, for example if you live in a park home, houseboat or you live off the grid.

For more information visit Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Fund.

Your electricity supplier should provide more guidance on the scheme before it starts. If you have not received your first instalment by the end of October 2022, you need to contact your supplier.

Direct debit customers - You’ll get the discount automatically in one of the following ways, as:

• a reduction to your monthly direct debit amount
• a refund to your bank account following the monthly direct debit collection

Standard credit or payment card customers - Your discount will be automatically applied as a credit to your account in the first week of each month. The credit will appear as it would if you had made a payment.

Smart prepayment meter - Your discount will be credited directly to your smart prepayment meter in the first week of each month.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter - You’ll get the discount from the first week of each month. You’ll get the discount automatically in one of the following ways, as:

• redeemable vouchers, sent by SMS text, email or post
• an automatic credit when you top up at your usual top up point

Your electricity supplier will let you know in advance how you will get your discount.

Your supplier should have your contact details, but if you’re not sure or you don’t receive any information from them, you should check that they have your latest number and email.

If you get vouchers, you’ll need to redeem them at a top-up point. Your supplier will tell you where to redeem them, for example at a Post Office branch or a PayPoint shop. Payzone outlets are unable to accept the vouchers.

If you pay for your electricity as part of your rent - If your landlord has a domestic electricity contract with a licensed electricity supplier, and you pay for your electricity as part of your rent, your landlord may pass their discount on to you.

Your landlord may be reselling the electricity to you based on your usage, in which case:

• they must comply with the maximum resale price rules which say they must not make a profit
• the maximum resale price for electricity is currently set at the same price as that paid by the person reselling it (see Ofgem’s guidance on ensuring customers are being charged no more than they should)

Your landlord may charge an ‘all inclusive’ rent, where a fixed cost for energy usage is included in your rental charges, in which case:

• they are encouraged to come to an agreement with you on the discount in line with the arrangement in your tenancy agreement
• the landlord’s fixed charge may already provide you with similar protection from the impact of the energy price increase

For more information on rising energy bills and what support is available, see our Rising energy prices section, or alternatively contact local energy charity, Act on Energy.