Around 860,000 households in Northern Ireland will receive an automatic £63 reduction on their electricity costs as the Household Electricity Discount Scheme begins this week.

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald marked the launch of the scheme, confirming that electricity suppliers will apply the credit automatically from Tuesday 6 October to eligible bill-paying and pre-pay/keypad customers.

Pre-pay/keypad users will get £63 added to the value of their next top-up, while bill-paying households will see £63 deducted from their next bill. No application is required, and eligibility is neither means tested nor based on usage. Minister Archibald said: "This £63 will help people with the cost of electricity as we move towards the winter months. I appreciate it will not ease all the pressures people are facing but it is hopefully a welcome payment for workers and families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. And if there are people who feel that they do not need this support, I would encourage them to make a voluntary donation to a fuel poverty charity, to help those who need it most."

The scheme will continue in 2027 and 2028, with the value of those payments to be confirmed in advance.

In June 2026, the Treasury approved £85.4 million to cover 75% of the domestic cost of the Northern Ireland Renewable Obligation over three years. A further £25.7 million was secured for 2026/27, equivalent to the temporary six-month reduction in VAT on domestic electricity bills in Britain. For this year, the Household Electricity Discount Scheme delivers a single combined payment, with total funding estimated at £53 million.

Further details are available on NI Direct under Help with your electricity bill.