MoneyNerd introduces enquiries to The Debt Advice Service and may receive a referral fee. For free, independent guidance and help finding a debt adviser, visit MoneyHelper.
This information and enquiry service is not a full financial assessment or a guarantee of suitability or debt write-off. Debt solutions are not suitable for everyone. Fees may apply, and your credit record and assets may be affected. Get advice on your circumstances before choosing a solution.
If you cannot afford your gas or electricity bill, contact your supplier as soon as possible. Ask for help based on your ability to pay and explain any health, disability or other circumstances affecting your household.
The supplier rules below mainly apply in Great Britain, where Ofgem regulates energy suppliers. Northern Ireland has a separate regulator and consumer support arrangements. Bills vary with usage, tariff and household circumstances; the price cap is not a cap on the total amount every household pays.
What should I check first?
Check the billing period, meter readings, tariff and whether the account is in your name. Give an up-to-date reading if it is safe to do so. If the balance includes energy used before you became responsible for the property, give the supplier your move-in date and evidence rather than accepting somebody else’s debt.
Keep bills and correspondence. Raise a billing dispute clearly, but do not assume that it automatically cancels every payment or all recovery activity. Ask the supplier to confirm how the disputed amount and ongoing usage will be handled.
What support must a supplier consider?
In Great Britain suppliers must work with customers in payment difficulty to agree an affordable payment plan. Ask for a review of payments, more time, reduced payments or a temporary break where appropriate. A plan should take account of ongoing usage as well as the arrears and your ability to pay.
Ask about hardship funds, grants, benefit-related deductions and the Priority Services Register. The register provides additional practical support for eligible customers; it does not automatically write off debt. If an agreed plan becomes unaffordable, contact the supplier again rather than letting it fail without explanation.
What help with energy bills is available?
Support schemes have eligibility rules and can change between winters and UK nations. Check current government and supplier guidance for help such as the Warm Home Discount and relevant winter payments. The general £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme for winter 2022–23 is not an ongoing payment available to all households.
Use Ofgem’s current help with energy bills guidance to find support. A smart meter can help monitor usage, but it does not by itself reduce a tariff or clear arrears.
Can I be moved to a prepayment meter?
A supplier cannot treat an unpaid bill as automatic permission to fit a prepayment meter or switch a smart meter to prepayment. Involuntary installation is a last resort and is subject to strict safeguards, including assessing whether it is safe and reasonably practicable for the household. Some higher-risk households must not be switched, and others require additional assessment.
Tell the supplier immediately about medical equipment, difficulties accessing or topping up a meter, age-related needs or other vulnerabilities. Get independent help if you believe the safeguards have not been followed. Do not rely on a simple claim that a supplier can install a meter after 28 days.
Understand your debt options
MoneyNerd can introduce you to The Debt Advice Service for free debt advice. MoneyNerd does not provide debt advice or recommend debt solutions.
The Debt Advice Service can explain your options, including their benefits, costs and risks. Options available depend on your circumstances. There’s no obligation to take a debt solution.
MoneyNerd does not provide debt advice or recommend debt solutions. The Debt Advice Service is a trading style of Pacific Financial Solutions Limited. If you request an introduction, we’ll share your details with their team so they can contact you.
Some debt solutions have fees and may negatively affect your credit rating. MoneyNerd is a commercial introducer and may receive a fee if you go ahead with a debt solution through The Debt Advice Service.
For free, impartial money guidance and help finding free debt advice, visit MoneyHelper.
What if I cannot top up?
Contact the supplier urgently if you have lost supply or cannot afford to top up. Ask about emergency or additional support credit and an affordable debt-recovery rate. Credit may need to be repaid. Standing charges and repayments of earlier credit or debt can still build up on a prepayment account.
Disconnection for debt is subject to protections and must not be treated as routine. The rules depend on the household and circumstances; it is inaccurate to promise that every disabled person, pensioner or family can never be disconnected. Seek urgent support if loss of supply is threatened.
What are the back-billing rules?
Ofgem’s rules can prevent a supplier charging for energy used more than 12 months earlier where it failed to bill correctly and the relevant conditions are met. Exceptions include obstructive or manifestly unreasonable customer behaviour. This is different from refusing to pay a bill that was correctly sent at the time.
See Ofgem’s back-billing guidance. Debt limitation is a separate legal issue and depends on the jurisdiction, payments, acknowledgements and any court order. Do not assume all energy debt is cancelled after a fixed number of years.
Take the first step towards tackling your debt
Every day, our partner, The Debt Advice Service, helps people understand their options for dealing with debt. Their debt advice is free, with no obligation to proceed.
MoneyNerd introduces you to The Debt Advice Service. We do not provide debt advice or recommend debt solutions.
Natasha
Very helpful and informative thank you
If you submit the enquiry form, MoneyNerd will share your details with The Debt Advice Service so they can contact you.
Some debt solutions have fees and may negatively affect your credit rating. MoneyNerd may receive a fee if you go ahead with a debt solution through The Debt Advice Service.
The Debt Advice Service is a trading style of Pacific Financial Solutions Limited.
For free, impartial help and access to not-for-profit debt advice, visit MoneyHelper.
Can I switch supplier while in debt?
Debt can affect switching, but the position is not an absolute ban after 28 days. Different rules apply to credit and prepayment accounts, disputed balances and debt transfer. Ask both suppliers to explain whether an objection is permitted in your case. Switching does not itself cancel the debt, and a new tariff may not be cheaper.
What if a debt collector contacts me?
Check who owns the debt and request a breakdown if you do not recognise it. Ordinary debt collectors do not have bailiff powers. Court recovery and enforcement may follow unpaid debt, but the process and available responses depend on where you live. Get help with court papers promptly.
Current energy bills are a priority. A supplier grant, negotiated arrangement or suitable debt solution may help, but no write-off is guaranteed. Cancelling a Direct Debit does not cancel the debt and can change tariff discounts.
Where can I get help or complain?
MoneyNerd provides general information and does not give debt advice or recommend a solution. You can find free, confidential debt advice through MoneyHelper’s debt advice locator. Advice should take account of where you live, your income, essential spending, assets and all your debts.
Complain to the supplier first about service or billing problems. If the complaint remains unresolved, check the Energy Ombudsman’s eligibility rules and time limits. Citizens Advice can help consumers in England and Wales; Advice Direct Scotland and the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland provide local support.
