Energy suppliers are now required by law to provide support with energy costs to more of their most low income and vulnerable consumers through the Warm Home Discount scheme. Over the next four years they will provide support worth up to £1.1 billion.Under arrangements designed to provide a smooth transition from the previous voluntary agreement, which ended in March 2011, suppliers are able to continue offering social and discounted tariffs as part of the Warm Home Discount scheme. How these tariffs are made available to vulnerable consumers is a matter for the energy suppliers and will be monitored by Ofgem.The majority of the new support available this year will be in the form of rebates to a core group of older poor pensioners—who will be identified to energy suppliers by Government through a data matching and sweep-up process using benefit information. We estimate (based on current casework figures) that about 600,000 of these pensioners will receive a rebate worth £120 in winter 2011-12.