what to do when you cant pay your electric bill

If you're finding information technology hard to beget your energy bills, there are several things yous tin can do.

Talking virtually information technology with your supplier might feel like the last thing you want to do, simply you're not solitary – Which?'s consumer insight tracker found over half (51%) of people said they had been putting the heating on less frequently due to energy prices increasing.

Get in touch with your energy supplier to discover out whether it can help you reduce your bill, such as paying by monthly directly debit or signing upwards for an online tariff.

If you lot're still finding information technology difficult to pay, there are other things you can practice. Read on to find out more than.

Also run into our tips to cutting your energy bills past using less energy, and how to save electricity and relieve coin

Aid with free energy bills during the coronavirus pandemic

If you miss a payment, your energy supplier won't disconnect your gas and electricity at the moment. But if you don't top-up your prepayment meter, your supply might still stop.

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

It must work with you to concur a payment plan that yous tin 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 suspension
• more time to pay
• admission to hardship funds.

Endeavor and agree a deal that works for both you and your supplier. You lot tin also ask to be added to the Priority Services register - this offers free help and support if yous are in a vulnerable situation.

If you lot have a prepayment meter and can't height information technology upward, contact your supplier to work out how to keep your energy supply. Options tin can include:

• emergency credit
• nominating someone to top up for yous
• adding a discretionary fund to your account
• sending you lot a pre-loaded tiptop-up card.

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

Energy supplier payment plans

Contact your supplier to explain your situation, and offer to pay an amount you can afford.

Free energy suppliers must take certain steps before cutting off your supply. Your supplier won't cut you off if y'all agree a regular payment plan with it and so stick to it. Usually a payment plan will comprehend what you lot owe plus an amount for your current use.

It should take into account:

• how much you tin can afford to pay
• how much free energy you will employ in the time to come.

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

Transport regular meter readings (if yous don't have a smart meter) to brand sure yous're billed accurately. Encounter how to read your electricity meter and how to read your gas meter.

How to pay energy debt through your benefits

You lot might be able to pay off what you lot owe through your benefits using the Fuel Direct scheme.

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 y'all're eligible for Cold Weather Payment, Wintertime Fuel Payment and Fuel Direct and how to set it up.

Paying free energy debt with a prepayment meter

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

However, you can terminate up paying more for energy with a prepayment meter. So ask virtually other options first and check Is a prepayment energy meter right for you? .

Help from energy companies

For Winter 2021/22, 26 energy suppliers take promised to:

• promote bachelor back up amend
• offering dissimilar ways of getting in affect if you're in fiscal difficulty
• make bills equally accurate as possible
• install smart meters for prepayment customers as soon as possible.

British Gas, Bulb, EDF, Eon, Octopus, Ovo, Scottish Power and Utilita are among the 26 companies.

Check your free energy company's code of practice to find out its policy on helping customers in hard circumstances. Wait in the help or FAQs section of its website, or phone the visitor:

• Avro Energy0330 058 2005
• British Gas 0333 202 9804
• Bulb 0300 xxx thirty 635
• Eon 0345 052 0000
• Eon Next (including former Npower customers) 0808 501 5200
• EDF Energy0333 009 6992
• Octopus Energy 0808 164 1088
• Ovo Energy 0800 0699 831
• Scottish Power 0800 027 0072
• Shell Energy 0330 094 5800
• SSE 0345 070 7395
• Utilita 0330 053 5669
• Utility Warehouse 0333 777 3215

Many of the biggest free energy companies also have independent charitable trusts to requite grants to some customers to assist them pay for fuel arrears.

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

When you apply for whatsoever of the same grants, you will have to provide detailed information about your financial situation. Information technology'southward as well worth checking whether there'south anything else you lot need to do earlier you utilise on the supplier or Trust's website.

Benefits and schemes to help pay energy bills

Government schemes and benefits can also assistance make your bills more affordable:

• The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-gratis lump sum towards winter free energy costs for those aged 66 or over.
• The Warm Home Discount is £140 off your bill if you lot become the guarantee element of Alimony Credit. A broader group is also eligible, but the criteria vary betwixt energy firms.
• The Cold Weather condition Payment gives extra help with energy bills when temperatures are beneath zero, if you get qualifying benefits.
• Yous might be eligible for a grant to brand your dwelling more free energy efficient. Observe out how the Energy Company Obligation can aid you, and if your supplier offers gratis loft insulation.
• There are other benefits to assistance you keep up with bills and household expenses. Find out what help you might qualify for using the Gov.uk website .

Energy bill problems

Inaccurate and erratic billing can leave yous in debt. If you become a large bill but information technology'southward the kickoff i y'all've had in a while, contact your supplier.

It should exist able to arrange for you to repay the debt over the same time that it was built upwardly (rather than demanding a large sum immediately). For case if you hadn't had a bill for 10 months, you lot could become 10 months to repay it.

Energy suppliers can't dorsum-bill you for energy yous used more 12 months agone, equally long every bit they were at fault – for example, by not sending a bill when you asked, or billing you lot incorrectly. Detect out more almost your rights on free energy dorsum-billing.

The only exception is if you prevent your supplier from taking or receiving accurate meter readings – by tampering with your meter, for example.

Don't wait for your free energy supplier to arrive touch. Contact it when you know you lot're struggling to pay your bills to end a large debt building up.

More help with energy bills

If you're getting into debt trying to keep up with household bills, encounter our guide on how to deal with debt for applied advice. Other sources of support include:

• The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB, 08082231133) can also give you free, independent advice on dealing with debt.
• Money Communication Service (0800 138 7777) is a authorities-backed free coin advice source.
• National Debtline (0808 808 4000) offers complimentary advice over the telephone to people in England, Scotland and Wales.
• Step Modify (0800 138 1111) is a charity that gives advice to assistance people overcome debt problems.

Local energy grants

Go to your local quango's website to observe out if information technology runs any schemes that you're eligible for. You will find your council's website through Gov.co.uk.

Visit Simple Free energy Communication'southward website and type in your postcode to find out if in that location are any additional grants you are entitled to. These include Coldbusters, Abode Energy Loan Plan and Home Improvement Loan.

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 electronic mail, letters or text messages.

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

Fuel vouchers tin can exist used at shops with PayPoint or Payzone besides as at a Post Part branch. They have to exist used within iii months of you receiving them.

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

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Source: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/cutting-your-energy-bills/article/how-to-save-on-your-energy-bill/help-if-you-re-struggling-to-pay-your-energy-bill-aXsId8V8dMv4

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