British Gas – How Long To Pay Bill? Quick Answer and Warning

If you’re concerned about being able to make your British Gas payment on time, you’re in the right place.

Each month, over 170,000 people visit our site to seek advice on their debt problems, which is not surprising, as Citizens Advice reports a record number of people seeking help for energy debts, with almost eight million borrowing money to pay their energy bills in the first half of 2023.¹

We understand that not being able to pay your energy bills can be scary, but don’t worry; we’ve got lots of useful tips and advice to share with you.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• How long you have to pay your British Gas bill.
• What happens if you pay your British Gas bill late.
• How you might be able to reduce some of your British Gas debt.
• Why energy prices are on the rise.
• How often British Gas bills their customers.

We’ll also discuss ways to save energy, support schemes from the government, and how British Gas compares to other energy suppliers. If you’re dealing with too much debt, we can guide you on how to legally write it off. We know this is a tough time, but remember, you’re not alone.

Let’s dive in.

How Long Do I Have to Pay My British Gas Bill?

If you receive a quarterly or semi-annual bill, you need to make sure that British Gas has your payment by the date on the bill and will show your British Gas bill payment deadline. If the payment reaches them after the due date they can add penalties for late payment. 

These penalties may apply even if you sent the money before it was due. You are obliged to make sure the payment has cleared with British Gas by the due date.

This means you should check how long a bank transfer will take to reach them from your bank account or give at least 3-5 days for a cheque to clear. Don’t forget to add extra time for postage and processing. 

If you pay by direct debit, British Gas will let you know if the amount of monthly payment is due to change. They use your meter readings to calculate your expected energy use over the year and then split the payments into 12 equal parts. If a meter reading shows you are using more energy than expected, your monthly payment will increase. 

Whether the payment has increased or not, if you don’t have enough money in your bank account to pay the direct debit, British Gas will try again. This typically occurs around 14 days after their first attempt to collect the direct debit but they will write to you or email to confirm the date. 

If the direct debit fails for the second time, British Gas will cancel the direct debit agreement and send you a bill to pay. You will have to pay the bill in full within 14 days. This bill may be significantly higher than the monthly direct debit amount. 

Once you have paid this bill, you will continue to get bills every three months (usually). These will need to be paid on time to avoid late payment charges or enforcement action. 

You can ask British Gas to return to a direct debit arrangement, but if you’ve broken it repeatedly they may not agree to your request. They might offer a prepayment meter as an alternative solution but if you are up to date with your payments, you do not have to agree. 

What Happens If I Pay My British Gas Bill Late?

If you pay your British Gas bill late and haven’t contacted them to make an alternative arrangement, you may be slapped with extra charges. Depending on how late the payment is, your case may also be referred to a debt collection agency. 

Some of the potential implications of late payment to British Gas include:

• £13 for debt collection
• £7 to instruct a debt collection agency
• £39 for a home visit to ask you to pay
• £56 for a warrant application
• £94 to execute the warrant and fit a Pay As You Go meter
• £28 for admin fees relating to debt collection

If your debt remains unpaid, British Gas might switch you to a prepayment meter. This prevents your debt from increasing and allows them to recoup some of what you owe every time you top up. 

Your case might also be referred to their debt collection team. They will contact you to try and come to an agreement about how the bill will be repaid. Cutting off your energy supply is the very last resort, and most customers are able to reach an agreement that they can afford. 

If you think you are going to be late paying your British Gas bill, the most important thing is to get in contact right away. Many households are struggling with energy costs, and all energy firms like British Gas have a range of different ways they can provide support.

The energy supplier OFGEM expects all energy firms to be fair and reasonable in their approach, and to offer help to customers in financial difficulty. You can find a list of some of the potential options that British Gas should offer listed on the OFGEM website. 

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

How Frequently Do British Gas Bill Their Customers?

The British Gas billing cycle is either quarterly or half-yearly. This means you’ll either get a bill every three months or every six months. A few customers may receive monthly bills, but this is far less common. 

If you send in a meter reading at a different time, you may receive an additional bill. This usually only happens if your meter reading is significantly different to the estimated readings that British Gas were using.

Updating your bill outside your regular billing cycle prevents you from falling into debt with British Gas or overpaying. Using an accurate reading ensures that your payments are on track. 

If you have a smart meter, readings will be sent to British Gas automatically and you shouldn’t receive any bills outside your regular three or six-month cycle.

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Energy Saving Tips

With the cost of energy rising we’re all looking for ways to reduce our energy bills. Luckily there are some simple actions you can take to begin reducing your British Gas bill:

• Take advantage of off-peak tariffs. If you have an Economy 7 meter, you can find these times on the British Gas website. If you’re with other suppliers for different energy sources, it’s worth checking their off-peak times too.
• Invest in energy-efficient appliances. Many newer range models of washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers and even air fryers are more energy-efficient.
• Insulate your home. Insulation will help not only keep the heat in when needed, but it will also help keep it out during the summer.
• Switch to energy-saving lightbulbs and turn them off when not in use. For those that may need to keep a light on at night, an energy-saving lightbulb could save you 80% on the cost of a regular bulb each year.

There are also many energy debt solutions that can help you manage the situation better. Here’s a quick table you can check out to learn more about them.

References

1. Citizens Advice – Record numbers seek help for energy debt before winter even hits