Money & benefits

Help with heating and energy bills

Last reviewed: June 2026

Heating a home through a Derbyshire winter is expensive, and for many older people it is a genuine worry, sometimes to the point of sitting in the cold to keep the bills down. Please do not go without. There is a good deal of help available, much of it paid automatically, and some support to make your home cheaper to heat for good. Here is what is on offer and where to turn.

Winter Fuel Payment

Most people over State Pension age in England now receive the Winter Fuel Payment automatically each winter. It is worth £200, or £300 if someone in the household is aged 80 or over, and it is paid straight into your bank account in November or December. You do not need to claim it.

The only people who do not keep it are those with an income over £35,000, who have it taken back through the tax system, and that will not affect most people. If you have put off claiming your State Pension, or you think you have been missed, contact the Pension Service.

Warm Home Discount

This is a £150 discount off your electricity bill over the winter months. If you receive the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit, you should get it automatically. Many other people on a low income or on certain benefits qualify too.

For most people it is applied automatically and you will get a letter confirming it, usually between October and December. Some people do need to ask their energy supplier, so if you think you should qualify and have not heard, it is worth checking with them. There is also a helpline on 0800 030 9322.

Cold Weather Payment

If you are on Pension Credit or certain other benefits, you also qualify for a Cold Weather Payment of £25 for each week of very cold weather, paid when the temperature where you live is freezing for seven days in a row. It is paid automatically, so there is nothing you need to do.

It is worth checking Pension Credit

You will notice Pension Credit keeps coming up here. Getting the Guarantee Credit part of it acts as a key that unlocks the Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments. So if you are not sure whether you qualify, it is well worth a free benefits check, and we have a separate guide on Pension Credit.

Help from your energy supplier

If you are struggling to pay, or you have fallen behind, the single most important thing is to talk to your energy supplier. They have a duty to help, they can set up a payment plan that works for you, and many run their own hardship funds that give grants towards clearing arrears. Please do not let it build up in silence. One phone call really can change things, and you will not be the first person to make it.

The Priority Services Register

This is a free service well worth signing up for. If you are an older person, or you have a health condition or disability, you can join your energy supplier's Priority Services Register to get extra help. That includes priority support and advance warning if the power goes off, help with reading your meter, and bills in large print or braille. Just ask your supplier, and your network operator, to add you.

Making your home cheaper to heat

There is also help to improve your home so that it is warmer and costs less to run, such as insulation and heating upgrades, and for low-income households this is often fully funded. In England the main route now is the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which is run through your local council. The simplest way to find out what you could get is to contact your council or use the checker on GOV.UK.

Staying warm and well

A few simple things help too. Try to keep the rooms you use most at a comfortable temperature, and your bedroom warm at night. Staying warm genuinely matters for your health, particularly in older age, so the real message here is please make use of the help that is there rather than going without. If you are worried that a cold home is affecting your health, your GP and the council can both advise.

Where to get help, locally and nationally

Close to home, across Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire:

  • Your energy supplier, for help with payments, hardship grants, and to join the Priority Services Register.
  • Your local council, for the Warm Homes: Local Grant and other local winter support: Chesterfield Borough Council, Bolsover District Council, or North East Derbyshire District Council.
  • Citizens Advice and Derbyshire County Council's adult care service, for a free benefits check. For Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, Citizens Advice is on 0808 250 5702 (9am to 2pm, Monday to Friday). For the Chesterfield Borough area, find your local office at citizensadvice.org.uk.

Across the country:

  • The Pension Service, on 0800 99 1234, for Winter Fuel Payment queries.
  • The Warm Home Discount helpline, on 0800 030 9322.
  • The Citizens Advice consumer service, on 0808 223 1133, for free, impartial energy advice.
  • GOV.UK, to check what energy grants and help you could get.
  • Independent Age, on 0800 319 6789, for free advice and factsheets.