Household Energy Payment 2027: Who Gets the £100?

The short answer: it is a £100 council payment

The Household Energy Payment is a one-off £100 payment announced for eligible households in England. The core scheme covers homes in Council Tax bands A to D that are occupied as someone’s sole or main residence. Local councils are expected to begin making payments from January 2027.

It is designed to help with household energy costs, but it is not a £100 credit that an energy supplier automatically puts on a gas account. The payment is being delivered through the Council Tax system. Once received, a household can use it towards gas, electricity or other essential costs according to its needs.

The government has not yet published the full delivery guidance. That means some practical details — including the complete eligibility rules, payment arrangements for every council and the discretionary scheme — remain subject to confirmation. Check your own council’s website before giving anyone bank details or trying to apply.

Who is expected to get the Household Energy Payment?

The national announcement applies to England. The core payment is targeted at Council Tax bands A, B, C and D, and the property must be occupied as a sole or main residence. The government says the scheme should reach up to 20 million households, around 80% of households in England.

Council Tax band is based on the property, not directly on the current household’s income. You can find it on a Council Tax bill or use the official Council Tax band checker. A band A to D home is not yet proof that every other condition is met, because the detailed eligibility guidance has not been issued.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has told councils that full guidance will cover eligibility, payment arrangements, monitoring and the discretionary fund. Until that appears, avoid relying on assumptions about second homes, empty properties, recent moves, exemptions or who receives a payment where the Council Tax account is changing.

• Amount: one £100 payment for the 2026/27 financial year.
• Core bands: Council Tax A, B, C or D in England.
• Property use: occupied as a sole or main residence.
• Delivery: the local council, with payments expected to start from January 2027.

How and when will the £100 be paid?

Councils are expected to start making payments from January 2027 after receiving scheme funding in advance. The government letter to councils does not promise that every eligible household will be paid on the same day, so treat January as the start of delivery rather than a universal payment date.

Some councils have already said they expect to pay eligible Direct Debit Council Tax households into the bank account they hold and to give other households a way to claim. However, the national delivery guidance is still pending and local arrangements can differ. Use your council’s official website for the process in your area; do not submit details through a link in an unexpected message.

You should not need to pay a fee to receive government support. Be cautious if a caller, text or email creates urgency, asks for card details or says a small payment will release the £100. If your council has not yet published instructions, waiting for its official update is safer than using an unofficial “claim” service.

What could £100 cover on a gas bill?

The useful comparison depends on your gas use and tariff. Ofgem’s average Direct Debit gas rate for a standard variable tariff in Great Britain from 1 October to 31 December 2026 is 7.97p per kWh, with a 29.68p daily standing charge. Rates vary by region, payment method and tariff, and the January 2027 rates may be different.

At 7.97p per kWh, £100 is equal to about 1,255 kWh of gas unit charges if standing charges are ignored. That is a comparison, not a free-gas allowance: the standing charge continues to accrue and the payment does not alter the tariff. The examples below show why both parts of the bill matter.

For your own figure, subtract two readings from the same meter and enter the usage, tariff and number of billing days in the gas bill calculator. Our gas units to kWh guide explains how a supplier converts metric or imperial readings before applying the unit price.

Figures use Great Britain average Direct Debit cap rates, include VAT and are rounded to the nearest penny. They are examples, not predicted household use or January 2027 tariff rates.

What about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

The £100 Council Tax bands A to D scheme described here is for England. Budget 2026 provides funding to the devolved governments through the Barnett formula so they can offer similar support, but it does not make England’s eligibility and payment method automatically apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

As of 4 November 2026, equivalent delivery arrangements had not been confirmed in the official sources checked for this guide. Residents should use their national government’s website rather than applying through an English council. Be especially careful with claims that all UK households will receive the same payment on the same date.

Energy regulation also differs. Ofgem’s price cap covers England, Scotland and Wales, while Northern Ireland has a separate market and regulator. The gas-cost table above therefore should not be treated as a Northern Ireland tariff example.

If your home is outside bands A to D or the payment is delayed

The government is giving English councils a separate £100 million discretionary fund for households acutely affected by rising energy bills, including some homes above band D. Detailed rules will be set locally after national guidance, so a higher Council Tax band does not by itself tell you whether discretionary help will be available.

The Household Energy Payment is separate from the Warm Home Discount, supplier grants and benefits. Receiving one type of support does not turn it into another. Read the conditions for each scheme and keep any council or supplier confirmation.

If a gas bill is unaffordable now, do not wait until January. Contact the supplier, give an up-to-date meter reading and ask for an affordable arrangement. Our gas-bill support guide explains payment plans and the different Great Britain and Northern Ireland routes. If the amount looks wrong rather than merely unaffordable, check the readings and tariff before agreeing how to repay it.

Three useful checks to make now

First, check the Council Tax band and make sure the council has the correct main-residence and account information. Second, find the energy supplier’s latest bill and take a current gas meter reading, so the £100 is compared with real use rather than an old estimate. Third, bookmark your council’s official payment page and wait for confirmed instructions.

Keep the payment in proportion. It can make a useful difference to a winter bill, but it does not guarantee that the whole gas balance is covered. A measured usage check and an accurate tariff remain the best way to decide how much of the payment to set aside for heating.