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Preventing disconnection

In practice, most people who have trouble paying their fuel bills don’t get disconnected. However, fuel bills are priority bills as having no access to gas and electricity is a risk to health, safety and well being.

Gas and electricity suppliers will usually negotiate alternatives to disconnection such as installing a pre-payment meter, agreeing repayment plans or through fuel direct, where deductions are made from certain welfare benefits.

Some vulnerable people are at particular risk of disconnection – particularly those who avoid or are unable to make contact with the fuel supplier. Once they are aware of a household’s vulnerability, fuel suppliers should follow their code of practice to try to avoid disconnecting the supply – check your supplier's website for their code of practice.

Fuel charges vary

Each energy supplier has a number of different deals or sets of charges – known as ‘tariffs’ – that often depend on how you pay and how long you sign up for. You may be able to save money by asking to transfer to another tariff on offer through your current gas or electricity supplier.

Switch suppliers to save

You don’t have to stay with the same energy supplier and you could save money by changing to a gas or electric supplier that is offering a better deal. Comparison websites can help you to compare deals offered by energy suppliers. Consumer Focus provides a list of energy comparison sites that meet its minimum standards.

You may be prevented from switching if you have more than £100 owing or your debt has been outstanding for more than 28 days. However, if you already have a prepayment meter, you are entitled to switch suppliers if your debt is less than £200.

It usually takes four to six weeks to switch supplier. Find out about changing suppliers from Consumer Focus.

Social tariffs

Some energy suppliers provide a social tariff to ensure that people considered most vulnerable to fuel poverty are not charged more than the supplier’s cheapest deal.

Ask to be considered for your supplier’s social tariff if you are vulnerable as a result of age, illness, disability or severe financial insecurity. Gas and electricity companies will look at if you are on a low income or claiming benefits such as income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, long term sickness benefits, disability living allowance, pension credit and retirement pension, or other situations of hardship.

Social tariffs are provided voluntarily by gas and electricity suppliers, but are being gradually phased out and replaced by the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

Use the Consumer Focus website to find out what scheme is offered by the various suppliers.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a new scheme funded by energy suppliers and replaces the social tariffs and voluntary arrangements previously offered by energy suppliers. The scheme is intended to provide direct and indirect financial support to vulnerable energy consumers over the four years from April 2011.

Who this scheme helps:

• Pensioners receiving the guarantee part of pension credit will automatically receive a discount on their energy bill without having to take any action.
• Other customers who may have low incomes or be vulnerable in various ways – each energy supplier sets its own categories of people who can be helped through the ‘broader group scheme’.

Details of the schemes available are provided by Consumer Focus and by the energy companies themselves.

Prepayment meters

Prepayment meters are used to buy fuel in advance – you pay to ‘top up’ a payment card in a shop and this is used to transfer credit to your gas or electricity meter. The meters can be set to recover fuel debts as well as to pay for gas or electricity you use.

Be careful if you move into a place with a pre-payment meter – make sure you get the supply put in your own name or you may end up paying someone else’s arrears.

Prepayment meters may suit you if you move from place to place or are living somewhere short-term, but if you are settled in a home long-term it may be easier to budget if you spread your costs over the year. You could consider other methods of payments such as payment plans by direct debit, or fuel direct if you claim certain benefits.

Fuel direct

If you receive a benefit such as income support, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance or pension credit, rather than use an expensive prepayment meter, you may prefer paying for your fuel bill and arrears directly from your benefits. An amount is deducted from your regular benefit payment and paid across to your fuel supplier once a quarter.

This option may help you to budget for your fuel costs over the year rather than having to find more money over the cold winter months to pay for heating. It could make the difference between having the heating on or not.

Find out how to apply for fuel direct from Consumer Focus. Contact a welfare benefits adviser if you have trouble setting up fuel direct – use our directory to find an adviser in your area.

Energy bill arrears

If you are in arrears with your gas or electricity bill, contact your supplier to come to an arrangement to pay the arrears back at a rate that is affordable for you.

Your options may include:

• going onto your suppliers cheapest or social tariff
• fuel direct – deductions from benefits to pay your bills and arrears
• using a pre-payment meter
• switching suppliers
• finding other sources of financial help to pay off the arrears.

Social fund help with gas and electric bills

There are a few circumstances where you may be able to get help from the social fund for limited fuel related costs if you receive income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, employment support allowance or pension credit.

Consider applying for a community care grant to help with:

• the cost of installing a pre-payment meter
• a security deposit demanded as a condition of connecting gas or electricity
• reconnection costs if your gas or electricity has been cut off.

You could apply for a crisis loan to pay fuel arrears if you are threatened with disconnection, or your supply has already been cut off and you don’t qualify for fuel direct and a pre-payment meter can’t be fitted.

Find out more about social fund grants and loans.

Other sources of help with energy bills

If you are facing disconnection and have been unable to come to an acceptable arrangement with your gas or electricity supplier, it is important to seek advice and help. You could contact an adviser in an advice agency such as a Citizen’s Advice or social services if you have children or severe disabilities. Use our directory to find an adviser.

Other sources of help include:

• the Home Heat helpline – phone 0800 33 66 99
• some charities offer help with fuel bills – particularly ex-services charities – ask your local Citizens Advice or advice service to help with finding or applying to relevant charities
• energy suppliers may have funds you can apply for if you are in exceptional need
• Consumer Focus and Consumer Direct – to help deal with disputes with gas and electricity suppliers.

If fuel costs are not your only debt, find out more about dealing with debt.

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