Just 24,680 of Elmbridge's 60,130 homes are in bands A to D, the ones due £100 from January 2027: the lowest share in Surrey. Who gets it and how.
Fewer than half of Elmbridge’s homes are in the council tax bands that get the £100 Household Energy Payment announced in Wednesday’s Budget. The figure is 41%, the lowest of any district in Surrey.
The payment goes to households in bands A to D in England, from January 2027. Elmbridge has 24,680 homes in those bands, out of 60,130. The other 35,450 or so are in bands E to H and get nothing from the main scheme.
Across England, 81% of homes are in bands A to D. Only three council areas in the country have a lower share than Elmbridge: Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and the Isles of Scilly.
The band counts come from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax stock of properties at 31 March 2025. The payment details are from the government’s Budget explainer on energy bills, published on 28 October.
Who gets the £100
The government says a household is eligible if it:
- lives in England
- is liable for council tax on the property
- lives there as its main home
- is in band A, B, C or D
Most households that are exempt from council tax will also qualify, it says, with the full rules “to be published in due course”. Second homes, empty properties and households where the occupier is not responsible for council tax are not eligible.
Up to 20 million households in England will qualify, the government estimates.
How it is paid
- If you pay council tax by direct debit, you do not need to do anything. The £100 is paid straight into your bank account.
- If you pay another way, the council will invite you to apply.
The government warns that nobody other than your council should contact you about claiming it. If a message asks for your details and you are not sure it is genuine, check with the council first.
Elmbridge Borough Council said on Wednesday it was “awaiting further information from the government about how the scheme will operate”. It will tell residents more “as soon as full details are available”, its statement says.
How Elmbridge compares
Elmbridge sits at the bottom of the Surrey table on 41.0%. Woking has the highest share in the county, 62.6%. Across Surrey as a whole it is 52.8%.
The reason is how many Elmbridge homes sit in the top bands. 4,550 homes are in band H, the highest band. That is 7.6% of the borough’s homes, against 0.6% across England, and more than bands A and B put together. Only Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster have a bigger share of band H homes.
| Band | Homes in Elmbridge | Qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| A | 460 | Yes |
| B | 1,890 | Yes |
| C | 8,180 | Yes |
| D | 14,150 | Yes |
| E | 11,310 | No |
| F | 8,140 | No |
| G | 11,460 | No |
| H | 4,550 | No |
| All | 60,130 |
These are counts of homes, rounded to the nearest ten, not of eligible households. Some band A to D homes will be empty or second homes, so the number of payments will be lower.
Bands are based on what a home would have sold for in April 1991, not what it is worth now. A band does not tell you whether a household is struggling.
If you are in band E or above
The government is giving councils an extra £100 million across England for discretionary help to households that need support but are not in bands A to D. Each council will set its own rules for who qualifies and publish them on its website once arrangements are in place. Elmbridge has not published any yet.
Households on means-tested benefits may also qualify for the £150 Warm Home Discount, the government says. Eligibility is on GOV.UK.
What it means for you
- Check your band. It is printed next to “Property Band” at the top of your council tax bill, or use GOV.UK’s Check your Council Tax band service. What each band pays in the borough this year is on our Elmbridge council tax bands page.
- Paying by direct debit in bands A to D? You should not need to do anything.
- Paying by cash, card or standing order? Watch for a letter from the council. Do not respond to texts or emails asking you to “claim” the £100 unless you are sure they come from the council.
- In band E or above and finding bills hard? Watch for the council’s discretionary scheme. If you are on means-tested benefits, check the Warm Home Discount too.
Have your say