Ah, summer. The time for sunburn, ice cream, and absolutely not thinking about your winter heating bill. But the government has other plans, and it wants you to make a phone call before you can even think about pumpkin spice latte season.

Here's the deal: if you want £150 knocked off your energy bill this winter, you need to make sure your name is on the electricity bill - and you need to do it before the eligibility records are checked on Sunday, 23 August. Because nothing says 'summer fun' like a deadline for winter discounts.

The Warm Home Discount scheme is the government's way of saying, 'We know winter is coming, and it's going to be expensive.' If you're on means-tested benefits like universal credit, you could get £150 off your bill. Energy suppliers will use customer records as of that fateful date to determine who qualifies, so if your name isn't on the bill, you might as well be invisible.

Millions of people will find out just how much they'll be paying for warmth later this month when Ofgem announces the quarterly price cap for October. Spoiler alert: it's going up, because of course it is. But for about six million households, the Warm Home Discount will soften the blow - if they qualify.

Who qualifies? Households receiving housing benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, or universal credit. And here's the kicker: you'll get the discount automatically only if your name is on the bill and your supplier has more than 1,000 customers. Because apparently, if your energy company is small, you have to work harder for your discount.

This is especially important if you've recently moved house and haven't updated your name on the bill, or if you use a pre-payment meter with a key or card. If your name isn't on the account, you might as well be living in a cave.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is practically begging people to check: 'If you know someone who might benefit, please start spreading the word and encourage them to check they are named on their energy bill.' Because nothing says 'government support' like relying on word of mouth.

And in a rare moment of good news, 345,000 Scottish low-income households will now automatically receive the rebate this winter, bringing Scotland in line with England and Wales. Previously, Scots had to apply for the scheme, which is about as fun as it sounds. So if you're in Scotland, you can now sit back and let the discount come to you - just make sure your name is on the bill, because old habits die hard.