Help if you're struggling to pay your energy bills

If you're finding it hard to afford your energy bills, there are several things you can do that will help. 

There's a price cap on variable tariffs - you're on one if you're not on a specific contract. The price cap is usually not the cheapest rate. So you might be able to pay less by fixing an energy deal with your provider. 

Find out more about the energy price cap.

If you're struggling to keep up with payments, talking about it with your supplier might feel like the last thing you want to do, but it's the best way to get set up with some help. Energy companies must help their customers who are in need and are not allowed to cut you off. 

Get in touch with your energy firm to find out what it can do to help you keep up with your bills. Your options could include paying by monthly direct debit or signing up for a different tariff. Your provider may also be able to help you access its hardship fund. Read on to find out more.

You may also be able to speak to Citizens Advice directly for one-to-one advice.

For immediate help if you are in urgent financial crisis, visit:

• Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133), which can give you free, independent advice on dealing with debt
• MoneyHelper (0800 011 3797) – a government-backed free source of money guidance
• National Energy Action (0800 304 7159) if you or someone you know cannot afford to heat their home
• National Debtline (0808 808 4000) – offers free advice over the phone to people in England, Scotland and Wales
• StepChange (0800 138 1111) – a charity that gives advice to help people overcome debt problems.

What if you can't afford your energy bills?

If you miss an energy bill payment, your energy supplier won't disconnect your gas and electricity. But if you don't top up your prepayment meter, your supply might stop.

Contact your energy supplier if you're struggling to pay, rather than cancelling your direct debit. 

It must work with you to agree on a payment plan that you can afford. Options vary between suppliers, but you can ask for:

• a review of your payments and debt repayments
• a reduction in your payments or a payment break
• more time to pay
• access to hardship funds.

Try and agree on something that works for both you and your supplier. You can also ask to be added to its Priority Services Register, which offers free help and support if you are in a vulnerable situation.

If you have a prepayment meter and can't top it up, contact your supplier to work out how to keep your energy supply running. Options it might offer include:

• giving you emergency credit
• allowing you to nominate someone to top it up for you
• adding a discretionary fund to your account
• sending you a pre-loaded top-up card.

Bear in mind that you'll eventually need to pay back any credit your supplier gives you.

Energy supplier payment plans

If you can't afford the bills you've been asked to pay, contact your supplier to explain your situation and offer to pay an amount you can afford.

Energy suppliers must take certain steps before cutting off your supply. Your provider won't cut you off if you agree on a regular payment plan and then stick to it. Usually a payment plan will cover what you owe plus an amount for your current use.

It should take into account:

• how much you can afford to pay
• how much energy you will use in the future. 

Your energy supplier may need to ask about your income, debt and personal circumstances to work this out. It can estimate future energy use based on what you've used previously. 

Send regular meter readings (if you don't have a smart meter) to make sure you're billed accurately.

See how to read your gas and electricity meters.

How to pay energy debt through your benefits

You might be able to pay off what you owe through your benefits using the Fuel Direct scheme (also known as 'third party deductions'). 

This takes a fixed payment automatically from your benefits to pay off your debt gradually, while paying towards your current energy use.

Find out if you're eligible for Fuel Direct and how to set it up.

You can get more help and information on using your benefits to make energy payments from Citizens Advice.

Paying energy debt with a prepayment meter

Pay-as-you go energy is one option for staying on top of your energy spend. Some energy suppliers might also ask you to have a prepayment meter installed if you don't keep up with your payments.

The price cap on out-of-contract tariffs for pay-as-you go customers is slightly cheaper than for direct debit customers. There's much less choice of fixed deals however, which are often cheaper.

Find out more about whether a prepayment energy meter is right for you.

Benefits and schemes to help pay energy bills

Some targeted government schemes and benefits are available:

• Winter Fuel Payment – an annual tax-free lump sum towards winter energy costs for those who get Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits.
• Warm Home Discount – £150 off your bill automatically if you recieve certain means-tested benefits. 
• Cold Weather Payment – this gives extra help with energy bills when temperatures are zero or below for seven consecutive days if you get qualifying benefits
• Warm Homes Plan - a scheme through which low-income households will be able to apply for free energy upgrades including insulation and solar panels
• Other benefits to help you keep up with bills and household expenses. Find out what help you might qualify for on the Gov.uk website.

Help from energy companies

Energy regulator Ofgem has rules for suppliers about how to support customers who are struggling to pay their bills. Companies must:

• engage with you and understand your ability to pay
• offer support at the earliest opportunity (for example after two consecutive missed monthly payments, one missed quarterly payment, or when you tell your supplier you can't pay your next bill)
• make sure that repayment plans are based on your ability to pay.

On top of these, some energy suppliers give extra help to their vulnerable or low-income customers, including:

• Credit on bills or prepayment meters
• Enhanced debt write-off schemes and hardship funds
• Reducing or waiving the standing charges over winter for certain customers
• Providing or improving access to energy-saving devices and technology
• Enhanced funding to charity partners and frontline organisations to target hard-to-reach customers.

Contact your energy provider

Check your energy company’s code of practice to find out its policy on helping customers in difficult circumstances. Look in the help or FAQs section of its website, or phone the company:

• 100Green 01920 486 156
• British Gas 0333 080 3880 (credit) or 0330 100 0303 (prepayment)
• Co-Op Energy 0808 164 1088
• E.on Next 0808 501 5200
• E 0333 103 9575
• Ecotricity  0345 555 7100 
• EDF Energy 0333 006 9950
• Good Energy 0345 034 2400 
• Octopus Energy 0808 164 1088
• Outfox Energy  0800 103 2702 
• Ovo Energy 0330 303 5063 (may monthly) or 0330 175 9669 (prepayment)
• Sainsbury's Energy 0808 501 5277
• Scottish Power 0345 270 0700
• So Energy 0330 111 5050
• Utilita 0345 207 200
• Utility Warehouse 0333 777 0777 (from UW mobile or landline) or 0800 977 5777

Many of the biggest energy companies also have independent charitable trusts that give grants to customers to help them pay for fuel arrears:

• British Gas British Gas Energy Trust
• Eon Next E.on Next Energy Fund
• EDF EDF Energy Customer Support Fund 
• Octopus Energy Octo Assist Fund
• Ovo Energy Extra Support
• Scottish Power Scottish Power Hardship Fund

If you can’t get a grant from your own supplier, check whether you’re eligible for one from the British Gas Energy Trust. Its grants are available to anyone, even if you’re not a British Gas customer.

When you apply for any of these grants, you will have to provide detailed information about your financial situation. 

Find out whether there’s anything else you need to do before you apply on the supplier or fund’s website. 

Energy billing problems

Inaccurate and erratic billing can leave you in debt. If you get a large bill, but it’s the first one you’ve had in a while, contact your supplier. 

It should be able to arrange for you to repay the debt over the same time that it was built up (rather than demanding a big sum immediately). For example if you hadn't had a bill for 10 months, you could get 10 months to repay it.

Energy suppliers can’t back-bill you for energy you used more than 12 months ago, as long as they were at fault – for example, by not sending a bill when you asked, or billing you incorrectly. Find out more about your rights on energy back-billing.

The only exception is if you have prevented your supplier from taking or receiving accurate meter readings – by tampering with your meter, for example, or refusing access to it.

Don’t wait for your energy supplier to get in touch. Contact it when you know there's a problem with your bills to stop a big debt building up.

More help with energy bills

If you're getting into debt trying to keep up with household bills, see our guides on how to deal with debt for practical advice and details of organisations that can help.

Local energy grants

Go to your local council’s website to find out if it runs any schemes that you’re eligible for. You will find your council’s website through Gov.uk.

Visit the Help to Heat page on Gov.uk to find out if there are any additional grants you are entitled to. These include the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Home Upgrade Grant.

Find out about other energy grants for your home.

Prepayment meter vouchers

If you can’t afford to top up your prepayment meter, you may be able to receive a fuel voucher. These are codes given to households via email, letters or text messages. 

The vouchers can be used as credit on your gas card or electricity key. They are worth up to £49 of credit on your bills, and can be received by each household up to three times a year to pay for gas, heating bills or electricity arrears.

Fuel vouchers can be used at shops with PayPoint or Payzone as well as at a Post Office branch. You may have to use them within 15 days of receiving them or they may be valid for longer.

Your local council might be able to help you get a fuel voucher - find your local council on Gov.uk.