£63 electricity support starts next month — what bill and keypad customers need to know
Thursday 17 September 2026
Around 860,000 households across Northern Ireland will receive £63 off their electricity costs from 6 October, with support applied automatically to bill-paying and keypad customers.
The Household Electricity Discount Scheme is not means-tested and the amount does not depend on how much electricity a household uses. No application is needed.
For pre-pay and keypad customers, there is an important detail: anyone wanting the full £63 credit in one go should top up by no more than £112. Larger top-ups will mean the support is split across subsequent top-ups.
How households will receive the discount
Bill-paying customers will receive a £60 credit before VAT, producing an overall saving of £63. It will appear on their bill as “NIRO & VAT Govt Credit”.
Pre-pay and keypad customers will receive £63 at their meter through the normal top-up process. To receive the full £63 credit in one go, keypad customers should top up by no more than £112. Larger top-ups will mean some of the government credit is added during a later top-up.
For example:
Top up £20: receive £83 — your £20 plus the full £63.
Top up £112: receive £175 — your £112 plus the full £63.
Top up more than £112: some of the £63 credit will arrive with a later top-up. You won’t lose it.
Any unused discount will remain on a bill-paying customer’s account towards future electricity costs. Customers already in credit will have the support added to their balance.
Support ahead of winter
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald confirmed the payment, saying:
“This discount will provide some help for families as winter kicks in and energy bills rise.”
She added:
“This £63 discount delivers support to households through a single automatic discount. No forms, no applications and no action is required.”
The minister had previously secured Treasury agreement for annual household electricity discounts of around £30 for three years, comparable to support in Britain. Additional funding has increased this year’s support to £63.
Who qualifies for the scheme
The discount is not means-tested and covers domestic electricity customers across Northern Ireland. Suppliers will use NIE Networks’ account records dated 4 October 2026 to apply the credit automatically.
Where a landlord holds the electricity account, the credit goes to that account. Customers moving home or switching supplier should, where possible, top up before doing so if they have not received their keypad credit.
Households will never be asked to provide bank details or pay a fee to claim the discount. Messages requesting either are scams.
Further discounts in 2027 and 2028
The scheme will continue in 2027 and 2028, although the amounts for those years have not yet been confirmed. They will be announced before the discounts are applied.
In June, the Treasury approved £85.4 million over three years to cover 75% of the domestic cost of the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation, a renewable electricity support scheme.
A further £25.7 million has been secured for 2026/27, equivalent to the temporary six-month reduction in VAT on domestic electricity supplies in Britain. The Department for the Economy estimates total funding for this year’s combined discount at £53 million.
Archibald also said: “Some people may feel they don’t need this financial support. If so, I would encourage those people to donate to a fuel poverty charity. Your support could make a real difference to someone who needs it most.”
Help with your discount
Contact your supplier first about missing or incorrect credit. For scheme queries, call the NI Energy Advice Service on 0800 111 4455 or email nienergyadvice@nihe.gov.uk.
Further guidance is available at www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/help-your-electricity-bill. Households do not need to register: bill payers should look out for the credit on their account, while keypad customers will receive it through topping up from 6 October.
