Not everyone over-65 will qualify, even if their income is below £35,000 (Image: Getty)
Thousands of pensioners will miss out on the Winter Fuel Allowance in 2025, despite a Labour reversal on eligibility. Last year, millions receiving the State Pension were denied the payment after it was restricted to only those on certain means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit.
This resulted in just 1.5 million people qualifying for the financial support to help cover their winter energy bills. However, following pressure from charities and pensioners’ organisations, this decision was overturned.
This means the allowance will be restored for pensioners with incomes up to £35,000 in 2025, expanding the number of eligible recipients to nine million. Yet some individuals celebrating a significant birthday this year, whose income falls beneath that threshold, will still be excluded.
The DWP states: “If you were born before September 22, 1959, you could get between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills for winter 2025 to 2026. This is known as a Winter Fuel Payment.”
Residents in Northern Ireland may be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment from the Northern Ireland Executive. Eligibility criteria will mirror those for England and Wales, reports the Mirror.
Those residing in Scotland cannot receive a Winter Fuel Payment. However, they may qualify for the Pension Age Winter Heating payment.
However, George Penny, Home Energy Expert at The Solar Co., warns that the cut-off date leaves 83,665 pensioners “left behind”. He says while the Winter Fuel Payment confirmation letters are beginning to arrive at homes across England and Wales, some over-65s will not qualify.
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He explains: “New analysis reveals that despite soaring energy bills, up to 83,000 pensioners across England and Wales are set to just miss out on this year’s Winter Fuel Payment altogether – simply because they turned 65 after the government’s qualifying window closed on 22 September 2025.
“As payments begin rolling out from 1st November, around £25 million in vital support will be lost for up to 83,655 left-behind pensioners born between 22 September and 31 October 1960 – each just missing out on up to £300 to help them stay warm this winter.
“The Winter Fuel Payment is a tax-free annual payment from the government that helps older people cover the cost of heating their homes during the colder months. The amount varies between £100 and £300, depending on your age and living circumstances.
“With energy prices still high and colder weather on the way, it’s crucial that this group of new pensioners know how to stretch their heating budgets further.”
The expert has now outlined how pensioners can effectively double the value of the missed Winter Fuel Payment through simple energy-saving measures, helping them save £595.50 this winter.
Warm zones
George suggests creating ‘warm zones’ by heating specific rooms and shutting doors to potentially save nearly £400 on bills. He explains: “Focusing heat where it’s needed most, such as the living room, can cut annual bills up to 37% which, based on the new and increased , could save households up to £395.50.
“For those who spend long hours at home, heating one or two main rooms rather than the whole property can significantly reduce gas use while maintaining comfort – additional features such as draft excluders and heavy curtains can keep even more warmth within rooms. There’s even ways of managing this without going through the effort of manually adjusting the thermostat in each room each day. Households can invest in thermostats with timers for each room or a smart heating system to take the hassle out of creating warm zones at home.”
Temperature control
Turning down your thermostat by 1°C could nearly double your winter fuel payment. The expert says: “Turning your thermostat from 22°C to 21°C can save £90.
“It’s recommended that homes be kept between 18-21°C to prevent damp and mould, but lowering your thermostat slightly can also provide significant savings, helping the winter fuel payment go further. Using a programmable thermostat to automatically reduce temperatures overnight or when you’re out can boost those savings even more without compromising comfort”.
Warm spaces
Attend a local community warm space to cut bills by £50. George says: “Attending free community ‘warm spaces’ or ‘warm banks’ gives residents a comfortable place to stay warm during the day reducing the need to heat their own homes for as many hours.
“A pensioner visiting a public warm space each weekday over the five-month winter period could save at least £50 on their energy bills by avoiding just one hour of home heating per day. What’s more, warm spaces offer the added benefit of socialising with other local residents, tackling aspects like loneliness.”
Energy bills have risen sharply over recent years (Image: Getty)
Lower your boiler flow temperature
“Most boilers in UK households are set to unnecessarily high flow temperatures of up to 80°C,” says George. Bringing this down to 60°C enhances your boiler’s heating efficiency by up to 9%, delivering savings of approximately £95 annually for a typical dual-fuel household on the October 2025 standard variable rate, whilst maintaining the same level of warmth in your property.
“This simple change can usually be made via the boiler control panel and takes just minutes – yet it’s one of the easiest ways to make your home more energy-efficient this winter.”
Solar panels
George suggests one further option, finances permitting, would be to install solar panels. He said: “Save £30 a month by investing in solar panels.
“If it’s within your budget, solar panels can be a smart long-term investment. With UK electricity costing around £0.25 per kWh and the average home using about 9kWh a day in winter, a 4kW solar system generating 3-6kWh daily can cut bills by at least £30 a month – or £180 over the winter.
“And with the Smart Export Guarantee paying around £0.15 per kWh for excess energy, you can even earn money back. That kind of stability can make a real difference to your energy savings in the long run.”
