Where to Start if Energy Costs Are Becoming Difficult
Energy bills can put pressure on any household.
Perhaps your monthly payment has gone up. You may have fallen behind with a bill.
Or you might use a prepayment meter and worry about your next top-up.
If this happens, help may be available.
However, support comes from several places. So, it helps to know where to start.
You may be able to get help from:
- Your energy supplier
- Government schemes
- Benefits
- Energy grants
- Fuel vouchers
- Fuel Bank
- Your local council
- Energy advice services
You may qualify for more than one type of support.
Therefore, it is worth checking your options.
Start by Checking Your Bill
Before looking for help with a large bill, make sure the amount is correct.
Check:
- Meter readings
- Estimated readings
- Payments already made
- Your tariff
- Your account balance
For example, your supplier may have used estimated readings for several months.
Once an actual reading is taken, your balance can change.
However, the supplier could also have made a mistake.
Therefore, start with two simple questions:
Is the bill correct?
Do I actually owe this amount?
If something looks wrong, contact your supplier.
We explain this in more detail in Energy Bills, Charges and Back-Billing.
Contact Your Energy Supplier
If the bill is correct but you cannot afford it, tell your supplier.
Try to do this as early as possible.
Your supplier should work with you to find a way to deal with what you owe. Also, it must take account of what you can afford when agreeing repayments.
Therefore, do not agree to a payment that you know you cannot maintain.
Instead, explain your situation.
You may be able to agree a more affordable payment plan.
What If You Already Have Energy Debt?
First, work out what you can realistically afford.
Your payment may need to cover:
The energy you are using now
and
Some of the money you already owe
However, your basic living costs still matter.
If the repayment amount is too high, tell your supplier.
Likewise, if your circumstances change, ask for the payment plan to be looked at again.
The important point is simple:
A payment plan needs to be affordable.
Check Whether You Can Get Benefits
Financial help is not only for people who are out of work.
You may also qualify for benefits if you:
- Work on a low income
- Have children
- Are a carer
- Have a disability
- Have a health condition
- Have reached pension age
Therefore, it is worth checking that you are receiving everything you can claim.
This can also be important because some energy support is linked to certain benefits.
Check for the Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount can help some households with their electricity costs.
For the current scheme, eligible households can receive £150 towards their electricity bill or prepayment meter.
However, the rules differ across Great Britain.
In Scotland, some people receive the discount automatically. Others need to apply through their electricity supplier.
Therefore, do not assume that receiving a qualifying benefit means you have nothing else to do.
We explain this separately in:
Warm Home Discount
Check for Winter Heating Help
Extra support may also be available during winter.
Again, the help depends on your age, benefits, household and where you live.
For example, Scotland has several forms of winter support.
These include:
- Winter Heating Payment
- Child Winter Heating Payment
- Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
The rules and payment amounts can change from year to year.
Therefore, always check the current rules.
We will cover winter support on the next part of our Financial Help journey.
What If You Cannot Afford to Top Up?
If you use a prepayment meter, running out of money can become serious very quickly.
Without credit, you may lose your gas or electricity supply.
Therefore, if you cannot afford to top up, contact your energy supplier.
Do not simply remain without energy.
Depending on your situation, your supplier may be able to provide temporary support.
Also, if you are paying energy debt through the meter and the amount being taken is too high, ask your supplier to reduce it. Your supplier must take account of what you can afford.
However, supplier help is not the only option.
You may also be able to get a fuel voucher.
Fuel Vouchers
A fuel voucher can provide emergency credit for a prepayment meter.
You normally receive a code by:
- Text
- Letter
You can then use the voucher to add credit to your gas or electricity.
Depending on the voucher, you may be able to use it at a PayPoint, Payzone outlet or Post Office. Smart prepayment customers may also be able to add the credit online.
However, check the instructions carefully.
Fuel vouchers can expire. In some cases, you may have only 15 days to use one.
Your local council may be able to help you find fuel-voucher support. An adviser may also be able to help.
Fuel Bank Foundation
Another important source of emergency help is the Fuel Bank Foundation.
Fuel Bank helps people who prepay for energy but do not have enough money to keep their home supplied.
In other words, it is designed for people facing an immediate fuel crisis.
The Fuel Bank Foundation can provide emergency fuel vouchers to eligible prepayment customers.
Its vouchers are accepted by energy suppliers. Also, a voucher can be split between gas and electricity if needed.
This can provide vital short-term help.
However, Fuel Bank is not intended to replace longer-term support.
If you regularly cannot afford to top up, there may be a bigger problem that needs attention.
Therefore, also look at your bills, benefits, debts and other help that may be available.
If You Have No Gas or Electricity Now
If your prepayment meter has already run out, act as soon as possible.
First:
Contact your energy supplier
Explain that you cannot afford to top up.
Then:
Ask about emergency or temporary credit
Also:
Check whether you can get a fuel voucher or Fuel Bank help
If anyone in your household may be at greater risk without energy, tell your supplier.
For example, you may need extra support because of age, disability, health or another household need.
Most importantly:
Do not assume that having no money means you simply have to remain without energy.
Ask for help.
Check for Energy Grants
If you owe money to your supplier, a grant may sometimes help.
Several energy companies have funds for customers who are struggling.
Current examples include support offered by suppliers such as British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next, Octopus, OVO, ScottishPower, Utilita and Utility Warehouse.
However, the schemes are different.
Some may ask you to get debt advice first.
Others have their own rules about who can apply.
Also, some grants are available even if you are not a customer of the organisation providing them. For example, some British Gas Energy Trust grants can be available to customers of other suppliers.
Therefore, check what is available before assuming you cannot get help.
We will look at this properly in Energy Grants and Supplier Support.
Your Local Council May Be Able to Help
Your council may also have support available.
This can include local grants or emergency help.
The exact support will depend on where you live.
Therefore, check your council’s current information.
Your council may also be able to help you find fuel vouchers or other local support.
What If You Use Oil, LPG, Coal or Wood?
Not everyone heats their home with mains gas or electricity.
If your main heating uses:
- Heating oil
- LPG
- Coal
- Wood
you may still be able to get help if you cannot afford fuel.
Citizens Advice provides separate guidance for households using these fuels.
Therefore, do not assume energy support only applies to gas and electricity customers.
Ask About the Priority Services Register
Financial difficulty may not be the only reason you need support.
You may also need extra help because of your circumstances.
The Priority Services Register, or PSR, can provide additional support.
For example, this may include help with meter access, priority contact or different ways of receiving information.
You may qualify because of:
- Age
- Disability
- Health
- Pregnancy
- Young children
- Communication needs
- Other circumstances
Therefore, tell your supplier if something makes managing your energy harder.
Do not assume they already know.
Help Is Not Only About Paying Today’s Bill
There is another important part of financial help.
We can ask:
How can I afford my energy today?
However, we should also ask:
How can I reduce what my home needs tomorrow?
Some households may be able to get help with energy-saving improvements.
For example, support may be available towards:
- Insulation
- Heating improvements
- Boiler work
- Heat pumps
Improving the home can reduce the amount of energy needed to keep it warm.
Therefore, financial help can work in two ways:
Help with today’s costs
and
Help to reduce future costs
We will look at home improvement funding later in this section.
Watch Out for Scams
Sadly, genuine financial support also gives scammers an opportunity.
You may receive a message saying that you qualify for an energy payment or heating allowance.
Be careful.
Do not give personal or bank details because someone contacts you unexpectedly.
Also, do not click links in unexpected texts or emails.
Citizens Advice warns that scammers may pretend to be energy companies or government departments to obtain personal information.
Instead, find the organisation’s official details yourself.
Then contact it directly.
Where Should You Start?
If energy costs are becoming difficult, use this simple order.
1. Check your bill
Make sure you actually owe the amount shown.
2. Contact your supplier
Tell them if you cannot afford your payments.
3. Check your benefits
Make sure you are receiving everything you can claim.
4. Check energy support
Look for the Warm Home Discount and winter payments.
5. Check for grants
Your supplier or another fund may be able to help with debt.
6. If you cannot top up, seek emergency help
Ask about temporary credit, fuel vouchers and Fuel Bank.
7. Check local support
Your council may have additional help.
8. Look at longer-term improvements
Check whether funding could help make your home cheaper to heat.
You may find that several types of support apply.
In Short
If you are struggling with energy costs, do not wait for the problem to become worse.
First, check that your bill is correct.
Then, contact your supplier if you cannot afford it.
After that, check for benefits, discounts, winter payments and grants.
If you use a prepayment meter and cannot afford to top up, seek help straight away.
Ask your supplier about temporary support.
Check for fuel vouchers.
Check whether Fuel Bank can help.
Most importantly, do not assume you will not qualify.
Different schemes help different people.
So, check what is available.
Help may deal with today’s bill.
However, it may also help you make your home cheaper to run in future.
Next: Warm Home Discount →
Energility
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