Winter Energy Payment: rates, dates and who gets it

The Winter Energy Payment is extra money for heating, paid automatically to everyone on NZ Super from 1 May to 1 October. It is $20.46 a week for a single person with no dependent children and $31.82 a week for a couple (one payment per couple, not each). You do not need to apply, it is not taxed, and it does not reduce any other payment. Over a winter it is worth roughly $450 for a single person and $700 for a couple. The 2026 payments ended on 1 October 2026, and rates for 2027 have not been announced. Rules checked 12 November 2026.

Rates and dates

Household	A week	Over a winter (153 days, about 22 weeks)	Averaged over the whole year
Single, no dependent children	$20.46	about $447.20	about $8.57 a week
Couple, or anyone with dependent children	$31.82	about $695.49	about $13.33 a week

Rates from Work and Income (updated 18 September 2026). The winter totals are our estimate: the payment runs from 1 May to 1 October, 153 days or about 21.9 weeks, but Work and Income does not publish an exact number of payments, and the last one is usually a part payment.

It is paid with your regular NZ Super, so if you are paid fortnightly it arrives as two weeks' worth each fortnight. It cannot be paid as a lump sum.

How the 2026 season ended

The 2026 payments ended on 1 October. For people on NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, Work and Income says a part payment (9 days' worth) came in the week starting 5 October, and the first payment without it was in the week starting 19 October. If your payment looked smaller in October, that is why.

Who gets it

You get the Winter Energy Payment automatically if you are receiving:

NZ Super or Veteran's Pension;
a main benefit such as Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Supported Living Payment, Young Parent Payment, Youth Payment, Emergency Benefit or Emergency Maintenance Allowance; or
Jobseeker Support Student Hardship.

It does not matter what your other income is, or how much you have in savings. If you get NZ Super, you get it.

Who does not

Work and Income lists three exclusions: people receiving the Residential Care Subsidy or Residential Support Subsidy (for example, in a rest home where the government helps with the cost), people living overseas, and people whose overseas pension is large enough that they receive no NZ Super or Veteran's Pension.

Couples

A couple on NZ Super or Veteran's Pension gets one payment of $31.82 a week, whether they live together or apart. It goes to one partner, usually the one with the lowest client number. If you want it paid into the other partner's account, call Work and Income.

Tax, other payments and travel

Not taxed. The Winter Energy Payment is non-taxable, so the amount you see is the amount you keep.
Does not affect other payments. Work and Income says it does not affect your other payments or your Income Related Rent.
Travel overseas. If you are on NZ Super, the payment can continue for up to 28 days away. If you will be away longer, tell Work and Income or you may be overpaid and have to pay it back. If you come back before 1 October, contact Work and Income to restart it; if you come back after 1 October, it restarts automatically next winter if you still qualify. See NZ Super and moving overseas for longer stays.
Power redirections. If part of your payment is redirected to your power company, Work and Income suggests reviewing it as winter ends.

What a winter fortnight looks like

Because NZ Super is paid fortnightly, the Winter Energy Payment arrives as two weeks' worth with each payment. At the M tax code, from 1 April 2026:

Household	NZ Super a fortnight	Winter Energy Payment a fortnight	Total a fortnight, May to September
Single, living alone	$1,110.30	$40.92	$1,151.22
Couple, both on NZ Super (together)	$1,708.16	$63.64	$1,771.80

For a couple, each partner's NZ Super arrives in their own account, but the Winter Energy Payment is added to only one of them. If you split household bills, it is worth knowing whose account it goes into.

When the season ends, the fortnightly amount drops back to NZ Super alone. Many people notice the drop in October and wonder whether their NZ Super has been cut. It has not: the winter top-up has simply finished, and it comes back on 1 May.

If your NZ Super is taxed at a secondary code because you also work, your NZ Super payment is lower, but the Winter Energy Payment is the same: it is not taxed, so the code does not touch it. See NZ Super and tax.

What it is worth in a retirement plan

The Winter Energy Payment is small next to NZ Super, but it is reliable and tax free, so it is worth counting. Our calculators leave it off by default, so the headline figures are slightly cautious. Switching it on in the retirement calculator shows what it adds.

For our example couple (both 55, $250,000 in KiwiSaver between them, $50,000 of other savings, retiring at 65), including the payment lifts their retirement pay from about $1,052 to $1,066 a week, for life to 95 in 9 of 10 markets. That is the $695 a winter spread across every week of the year, on top of NZ Super of $854.08.

For a single person of 64 earning $70,000, with $200,000 in KiwiSaver and $40,000 of other savings, it lifts the pay from about $682 to $690 a week.

Another way to see it: the payment does the job of a lump sum. Producing $447 a year from 65 to 95 in 9 of 10 markets, at our 2.5% return after inflation of 2%, would take about $16,300 of savings; producing $695 a year would take about $25,400. The government is effectively holding that money for you.

Budgeting for winter

Energy costs are lumpy. A retirement budget built on a weekly average can feel tight from June to August, when power bills peak, and comfortable in summer. Three habits help:

Know your winter bill. Look at last year's June, July and August power bills and compare them with your summer bills. The difference is what you need to cover.
Set the payment aside. Because it arrives with NZ Super, it is easy to absorb into general spending. Some people move it into a separate account or ask their power company for a smooth pay plan, so the bill is the same every month.
Treat it as a bonus, not the plan. The payment is set by the government each year and could change. A sound plan works without it.

Our retirement budget guide shows how to build your own figure, and the Massey guidelines guide explains the benchmarks.

Will it continue?

The Winter Energy Payment is paid every winter from 1 May. No rates for 2027 had been announced on 12 November 2026. Like NZ Super itself, it is set by the government, and any change would be announced before winter. We will update this page when Work and Income confirms the 2027 season.

For the full picture of your income from 65, see our guides to NZ Super rates and how much you need to retire, or check your own figures on the NZ Super calculator.

This is general information, not financial advice. Work and Income confirms what you are entitled to.

Questions

Do I need to apply for the Winter Energy Payment?

No. If you get NZ Super or a qualifying main benefit, Work and Income pays it automatically from 1 May to 1 October, with your regular payments.

How much is the Winter Energy Payment in 2026?

$20.46 a week for a single person with no dependent children, and $31.82 a week for a couple or anyone with dependent children. Rates for 2027 have not been announced.

Do couples get the Winter Energy Payment each?

No. A couple gets one payment of $31.82 a week, usually paid to the partner with the lowest client number. You can ask Work and Income to pay it to the other partner.

Is the Winter Energy Payment taxed?

No. It is non-taxable and does not affect your other payments.

Does the Winter Energy Payment stop if I travel overseas?

If you are on NZ Super it can continue for up to 28 days away. For longer trips, tell Work and Income, or you may be overpaid and have to repay it.

Sources

Rules as at 12 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected].