A yellow cold health alert has come into force, covering the North West and West Midlands until 12pm on Saturday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) alert, which is the first of the winter season, comes at a time of concern over rising energy costs.

Ofgem’s energy price cap rose 3.6 per cent to £1,723 for a typical household on October 1, while forecasters are also predicting a further rise of around 22 per cent in January.

A recent poll conducted by Uswitch found that more than nine million homes are heading into winter in debt to their energy supplier or with no credit.

It also revealed that 43 per cent of bill payers intend to wear extra layers rather than turn the heating on, and one in 12 (8 per cent) plans to spend less on food to pay for their energy.

However, there are a number of financial support options available to those struggling to pay their energy bills.

Here, takes a look whether you could be eligible for the different schemes in place.

Chancellor John Healey announced in the Autumn budget that about 20 million UK households will get a £100 discount on their energy bills this winter.

The £100 payment will be deposited by local councils into the bank accounts of residents living in council tax bands A to D in January 2027.

Those who do not pay their council tax via direct debit will need to provide their bank details.

However, the £100 might not stretch that far as the Energy Price Cap will rise at the start of 2027, meaning the typical energy bill is predicted to jump by £276 in January, according to consultants Cornwall Insights.

Students and other residents exempt from council tax will still be eligible for the payment if their property falls within tax bands A to D.

Households in England can check their council tax category via the government website. It will also be printed on any paper bills.

According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, households who do not meet the requirements for the Household Energy Payment may be able to access discretionary support from their local authority.

It adds: “Local councils will be responsible for setting their eligibility criteria for the discretionary fund and making sure it benefits households who most need support.

Nearly ten million people are set to receive support with heating costs this year through the government’s winter fuel payment scheme, which is designed to help pensioners through the colder months.

The scheme is currently available for those born before or on 1960 and live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Those who apply could get between £100 and £300 to help with heating bills for winter 2026- 2027.

It’s important to note that theres’s no single payment date. Instead, payments will be made in stages, and those eligible will be automatically paid in November or December this year.

Pensioners should have already received a letter informing them of how much they will get and which bank account it will be paid into. It’s usually the same account as State Pension or other benefits.

A person qualifies for the benefit if their total income is less than £35,000. For those with an income over this amount who receive the benefit, the government has said HMRC will take back the payment.

There are four other groups of people who are ineligible for the payment:

The Warm Home Discount scheme gives those eligible a “one-off £150 discount” on their electricity bill, according to the government.

In England and Wales, you could be eligible for the discount if all of the following conditions were met on 23 August 2026:

Those eligible for the scheme, or those who may have been eligible, should receive a letter by early January 2027 about the discount.

Cold Weather Payments provide ”£25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027,” according to the government’s website.

It adds: “You’ll get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.”

Those receiving certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest could be eligible for the financial support, which is given automatically.

However, those living in Scotland are not able to receive Cold Weather Payments, but could “get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead”, according to GOV UK.

In England, customers can access the Crisis and Resilience Fund for emergency cash and fuel vouchers.

In Wales, emergency grants are available from the Welsh Government Discretionary Assistance Fund, and the Scottish Welfare Fund in Scotland.

The Winter Heating Payment is also available for those living in Scotland and receiving “certain benefits”, according to GOV UK.

You can check what benefits you’re entitled to on MoneyHelper or on Turn2us benefits calculator. Further advice on the schemes available can be found here.