If you were born on or before 5 January 1951 or live with someone born on or before that date, you may be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment to help with fuel costs over the winter. If you are on a low income, you may also qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme. This gives an automatic rebate of £120 on your electricity bill for this winter and the next three winters. Depending on your income and health, you may also be entitled to your supplier’s social tariff or other energy efficiency schemes and grants that are available. These schemes vary across the UK and are run by a variety of organisations.

For more about energy grants and schemes:
adviceguide.org.uk/index/fuel_costs_and_saving_money.htm#grants_and_schemes

If you are on a low income, you might qualify for your supplier’s social tariff or Warm Home Discount. You can also get help from various schemes across the UK which help reduce energy consumption and keep your bills down. The main scheme is a home energy efficiency scheme known as Warm Front in England, Energy Assistance Package in Scotland, the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme in Wales. These government-funded schemes provide energy advice and grants to help with the costs of home insulation. They also help to improve energy efficiency for certain groups of people including those on low incomes. You may also be able to apply to the local authority for a grant, loan or other type of help for home improvements.

You can contact your local Energy Advice Saving centre for information on energy savings schemes and grants in your area. You can find your local centre on freefone 0800 512 012 or on the Energy Savings Trust's website: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

The Warm Home Discount gives a discount of £120 off the energy bill of eligible households. If you are a pensioner eligible for the Warm Home Discount , the Department for Work and Pensions will try to make sure you get this discount automatically. If you are missed out, you can ask for the discount directly from your supplier. The Warm Home Discount gives an automatic rebate of £120 on your electricity bill for this winter and the next three winters. You will qualify for this rebate if you only got the guarantee credit of Pension Credit on the qualifying date of 11 September 2011. If you got the savings credit of the Pension Credit on this date, you will not qualify. Energy suppliers may also give a £120 rebate to some other customers in vulnerable groups (called the broader group). Each electricity supplier has different eligibility criteria they will use to decide who may get the rebate.

For more information on applying to your energy supplier for the Warm Home Discount: www.decc.gov.uk

Cold Weather Payments can help people who are in receipt of certain benefits with their additional heating costs during winter. Payments are made when the weather station linked to your area forecasts or records an average daily temperature of 0 degrees centigrade or less for seven days in a row. If you are entitled to cold weather payments, you will automatically be sent a payment of £25 for each period of cold weather. You do not have to make a claim for a Cold Weather Payment, but if you think you should receive one and you are not paid, you can make a written claim to your local benefit office. If they refuse to make a payment and you still think you are entitled, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again or you can appeal to an independent tribunal.

For more information on Cold Weather Payments:
adviceguide.org.uk/index/help_for_people_on_a_low_income_-_the_social_fund.htm#cold_weather_payments

Surviving Winter is a UK-wide campaign to encourage people to make donations to help older and vulnerable people affected by fuel poverty this winter. The campaign is inspired by people who want to recycle their Winter Fuel Payment to support older and vulnerable people. Local community foundations all over the UK are co-ordinating the campaign. What they collect is targeted directly to help those locally who struggle to stay safe through the winter.

- Donate online: localgiving.com/saga
- Or find your local community foundation to donate directly: www.communityfoundations.org.uk/community_foundations/map

Most suppliers provide some emergency credit, which means you can carry on using energy for a while after your top-up runs out. However, if you dip into the emergency credit, you still need to pay for it, so you will need to factor in this cost next time you do top up. If you’re struggling to top up your prepayment meter, contact your energy supplier immediately to make them aware of the situation. They may be able to reduce the level of debt repayment or offer you a lower priced tariff. Ask whether they offer any schemes to help customers facing financial hardship. In extreme circumstances the Department for Work and Pensions might be able to provide crisis loan as a short term fix to the situation.

For more information on a crisis loan: www.direct.gov.uk

If your home is in a part of the UK that isn't connected to the gas mains network, you might use heating oil to power your central heating system and hot water.

Find out how using domestic heating oil works and your consumer rights when you buy and use it:
adviceguide.org.uk/index/domestic_heating_oil_what_you_need_to_know