Energy suppliers have a range of schemes to help their customers when they are struggling to pay their bills or are in debt to the supplier. These schemes aim to reduce stress and make sure vulnerable people can keep their gas or electricity supply during times of financial hardship.
Eligibility
Eligibility for these schemes varies, but people are more likely to qualify for one or more of these schemes if they:
- Receive a means-tested benefit
- Have a low income
- Have experienced exceptional circumstances, such as bereavement or a sudden loss of income
- Live with young children
- Are elderly, disabled or have a medical condition.
Different types of help with bills
The kind of help available from different energy companies varies, but it can include:
Payment extensions – giving customers more time to pay a bill or spreading out payments over a longer period of time to make them more manageable.
Deferred payments – putting payments on hold temporarily during periods of financial hardship.
Affordable repayment plans – setting up personalised, more affordable payment plans, based on the customer’s income and expenditure. Debt repayments can also be spread over a number of years.
Fuel Direct – setting up automatic payments for energy bills that come directly from the customer’s benefit payments. This scheme ensures regular, manageable payments without the need for the customer to deal with the energy bill directly. This scheme only applies to those on income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. It is run by the government in partnership with energy suppliers.
Trust funds – using the energy companies’ own charitable trust funds to help low-income customers clear fuel debts.
Standing charge holiday – pausing standing charges temporarily or providing credits towards them.
Grants and free offers from energy suppliers
Grants for appliances – EDF and E.on Next provide grants to replace old or broken appliances, like washing machines, fridges and ovens, with new, energy-efficient models.
Free electric blankets – Octopus and Ovo offer free electric blankets to qualifying customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills or have built up debts.
Prepayment meter customers
There may be extra support from suppliers for customers who are unable to top up their meters.
Emergency top-ups – emergency credit that the supplier can provide when customers can’t top up their meters. The money must be repaid through future top-ups. Suppliers provide this service to households that include vulnerable people to prevent gas or electricity disconnection.
Fuel vouchers – non-repayable fuel vouchers from suppliers to prevent their gas or electricity being cut off. These vouchers often need to be accessed via referral agencies.
How to get help from suppliers
Support schemes change regularly and may be temporary or limited in scope.
People who are having problems with their bills should contact their energy supplier’s customer service or support team to ask about support schemes. Many suppliers now have dedicated “extra support” teams to help with this.
People who are particularly vulnerable – for example because of age, disability or ill-health – should sign up to their supplier’s priority services register. This will open up access to whatever support the energy supplier provides, including extra support in the case of power cuts or for those with additional communication or language needs.
Support pages for major energy suppliers
Find out more about support packages from your supplier by clicking on the links below.
Utility Warehouse support page
More information
>> Read more about energy supplier trust funds
You can find more general information and advice on energy debt on these websites:
Centre for Sustainable Energy advice on credit meter debt
Centre for Sustainable Energy advice on prepayment meter debt