One in eight Gwynedd households get a one-off payment to help with the cost of energy during winter, new figures show.

The number of households receiving the Warm Home Discount across England, Wales and Scotland rose by a quarter in 2023-24.

However, the Fuel Poverty Action charity said the scheme fails to protect those on the lowest incomes from fuel poverty.

The one-off payment of £150 is designed to help lower-income and vulnerable households with energy bills in winter. The scheme reopens in October.

Department for Work and Pensions figures show there were 7,398 households in Gwynedd who received the rebate in 2023-24. They accounted for 12 per cent of households in the area - up from 10 per cent the year before.

Across the three nations, 3.1 million households, or one in 10, had the discount added to their energy bill – an increase from 2.5 million in 2022-23.

However, Adam Scorer, chief executive of the charity National Energy Action, said too many vulnerable people are missing out altogether.

"Low-income families who aren't on benefits or who live in marginally smaller or newer homes are no longer able to receive a rebate.

"For them, the scheme must feel like a cruel postcode lottery."