New Regulations for the Warm Home Discount Scheme

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The current Warm Home Discount Scheme comes to an end in March 2016. New Regulations are required for the WHD scheme to continue. The Government proposes to keep the scheme unchanged for 2016/17 in respect of the Core and Broader Groups. Further details for the period to 2020/21 are to follow in 2017 and are expected to be linked more closely to other fuel poverty initiatives.



On paper, this looks as though they could be positive changes. In reality, it remains to be seen what and how changes are implemented with any new regulations.


http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05956/SN05956.pdf

4. Future changes to the scheme
The Fuel Poverty Strategy for England highlighted the challenge of
increasing effective targeting of Fuel Poverty Schemes. It set out that Government would look for opportunities to extend the use of data matching wherever practical and appropriate. This will improve targeting and maximise the potential for automated identification of fuel poor homes, as well as delivery of any future energy bill support schemes.

As noted earlier, the current Warm Home Discount Scheme comes to an end in March 2016. New Regulations are required for the WHD scheme to continue. Government proposes to keep the scheme unchanged for 2016.

In the longer term, the Government has said that it will consult on future measures to streamline delivery and to consider whether we can improve the targeting of support towards fuel poor households in greatest need.
The Government says that these improvements would potentially enable them to provide working-age customers and families, currently supported through the Broader Group, with Core Group-style automatic rebates for the first time.
The Government are also exploring options to bring new datasets to bear, including Government-held energy efficiency data, which could pave the way for rebates to be prioritised for those in the coldest homes. This is consistent with the commitments in the Fuel Poverty Strategy for England to target support at Low Income High Costs households and to do so through better use of data.
The Government recognise that many of the fuel poverty and energy efficiency schemes do not capture those in fuel poverty who are not on benefits. They want a more joined up approach with the EnergyCompany Obligation and propose that they adjust and widen the criteria suppliers currently operate within, to include activities that would support households that are not eligible for, or cannot be delivered to cost effectively under, an Energy Company Obligation e.g. those in deeply rural areas or who are not in receipt of benefits.
Government are looking for responses to its consultation to see ways of achieving this.