What is the Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives scheme?

The Warm Home Discount requires all licensed suppliers with more than 1,000 customers to support people on low incomes via a one-off discount of £150 off their winter energy bills.

The secondary part of this scheme, Industry Initiatives, requires suppliers to deliver measures to help people in fuel poverty. Support could include energy efficiency measures, energy advice, boiler and central heating replacements, financial assistance payments, debt write-off, and benefit entitlement checks.

Under this scheme, we currently partner with OVO, British Gas and Utilita to deliver support and advice to people in fuel poverty.

How we support people in fuel poverty

We’re a leading charity with over 45 years of experience in delivering energy advice. Through our advice calls, home visits, casework and outreach, we provide expert, trusted support to people who are struggling to pay their energy bills and keep their homes warm.

Our freephone energy advice line helps thousands of people who can’t afford their energy bills or who are suffering in cold homes. We provide in-depth benefit entitlement checks and help secure grants for measures like heaters and electric blankets to help people stay warm at home. We also advise people on behavioural changes they can make to save energy and reduce their bills.

Our home visits provide vital in-person support for those with problems that can’t be solved over a phone call. By visiting someone in their home, we can better understand their situation and provide practical support tailored to their needs. We can also assess their building’s condition and advise on energy efficiency measures such as draught-proofing and insulation, helping them keep their homes warmer and save money on their energy bills.

Our casework provides long-term help to people in the most vulnerable circumstances who need sustained support. This can include helping people negotiate debt repayment plans.

As part of our community outreach work, we host drop-in sessions, run advice stands, and host talks at food banks, libraries, family hubs and other community spaces. We proactively reach hundreds of people who can’t afford to heat their homes and who have turned to their community spaces for help staying warm and well.

Our impact with OVO

During scheme year 14 (2024-25), funded by OVO, we’ve:

• Supported 2,803 people with energy advice and smart meter advice.
• Secured an average of £3,747 worth of extra benefits per household.
• Provided 197 energy efficiency measures, including behavioural measures and installation of air source heat pumps, radiator panels and night storage heaters.
• Provided 143 thermal efficiency measures, including installations of solar panels and insulation works.
• Delivered 168 home visits.
• Helped save people a total of £2.96m as a result of our energy saving advice.

But our impact also goes far beyond financial help. Our in-depth support transforms people’s lives and creates long-lasting change.

The Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives scheme helps fund our advice service, including our Warm & Safe Wiltshire energy advice project. Read Suhail’s story to see how our energy advice has made a lasting difference to his life.

Join our multi-supplier scheme 2026-27

We can help you hit your Ofgem targets while reducing your administrative workload by taking on tasks like reporting and auditing. We offer flexible delivery programmes that target vulnerable and fuel-poor households and support your existing WHDII activity – all backed by robust reporting and a focus on long-term social impact.