Information for customers
Support with energy bills
If you are worried about paying your energy bills, there is support available to help you – especially if you are in a vulnerable situation, due to financial difficulties, mental or physical health issues, or other events. Here is how to get the advice and help you need.
Energy bill advice and support
Get in touch with your supplier
If you are struggling to pay your gas or electricity bills, the first call you should make is to your energy supplier – it is best placed to offer support and advice. They will talk things through with you and find ways to support you, including repayment plans and energy efficiency advice, and give you contact details for organisations that can give independent advice.
Let your supplier if you need extra help
Each energy suppliers keeps a Priority Services Register (PSR) to help them give additional support to householders with specific needs. This could be someone who has a disability or needs communications in alternative formats, relies on medical equipment, or is elderly, pregnant or has small children in the home. Ask your supplier for more information and advice on eligibility.
Learn more about the Priority Services Register
Make your home more energy efficient
In the longer term, improving energy efficiency means lower bills. There’s lots of advice on low- and no-cost ways to reduce energy waste, with many tips quick and easy to implement. Ask your supplier if they offer customers financial support for building measures such as insulation – some do.
Get a smart meter
Smart meters provide real-time information about the energy use in a household, helping customers avoid wasting energy and getting estimated readings and bills. Get in touch with your supplier to request a smart meter – they can arrange installation at a time and date that works for you, at no cost to you.
Take regular meter readings
If you don’t have a smart meter, submitting monthly meter readings will help you stay on top of your energy account and make sure your bills are accurate.
If you already have a working smart meter installed, you won’t need to submit monthly readings – this will happen automatically.
Be aware of fraud
There has been a rise in energy scams with criminals impersonating an energy supplier on a home visit, or calling, emailing, or texting people claiming to be from the Government or an energy supplier. If you’re in any doubt, contact your energy supplier directly – and report any scams to Action Fraud.
Other support available
The Household Support Fund
This fund will help households with the cost of essentials such as food, clothing and utilities and, in England, will continue to be distributed to local councils. People should contact their local authority to request access to the fund.
For more information, please visit this Goverment webpage
Warm Home Discount (WHD)
If you’re on state benefits, receive guarantee credit or have disability allowance you might be eligible for the Warm Home Discount; a one-off payment of £150 towards your energy bills. The money comes directly off your bill, rather than being paid into your bank account.
For more information on the WHD, please visit this Government webpage.
Get independent advice
You can also get help and advice from Citizens Advice. Call 0808 223 1133 or use their webchat. For textphone, dial 18001 followed by the helpline number. Someone at their Extra Help Unit could take on your case if you are in a vulnerable situation.
If you are in Scotland, call Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, use their online webchat, or contact them by e-mail.
For disability-specific advice, call Scope’s free helpline on 0808 800 3333 (open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Saturday to Sunday 10am to 6pm).
Pensioners can also contact the charity Age UK for support on their free advice line 0808 800 3333 (open 8am-7pm 365 days a year).
If you are struggling with debt, call National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 for free debt advice, or use webchat (Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday 9.30am to 1pm. This is the fastest way to speak to a specialist adviser).
StepChange has an online debt advice tool available at any time on their website, or you can call its free helpline on 0800 138 1111 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 4pm).