Gas and Electricity:
If you're having difficulty paying for your electricity or gas, contact your fuel supplier straight away and come to an agreement about how to pay off the arrears.
If you are still struggling to pay, there are different options available for you:
Change supplier
Different gas and electricity suppliers have different pricing options, so you may find that you can get your gas and electricity cheaper from another supplier - or on a different tariff with your current supplier.
Although the government has been trying to simplify the number of tariffs that suppliers can provide, there are many options still available from the many different suppliers.
If you have a pre-payment meter, you are probably paying the highest tariff that the supplier can offer. Although this minimises the chance of building up arrears, it can be less flexible for budgeting, as there may be variations in the amounts needed depending on the season.
Different suppliers will charge different amounts for both metered and pre-payment meters and therefore it is wise to check periodically whether there is a cheaper option and then change supplier.
There are several comparison websites which include the pre-payment charges that can show the differences between suppliers:
The Cooperative Energy
If you have arrears of less than £500 (£500 for gas plus a further £500 for electricity) on your account, it is still possible to change supplier, as the debt can be carried over to the new supplier. The debt will still need to be paid off, but if the tariff is cheaper this may be easier to do. You will have to keep using the pre-payment method until the debt is cleared, but you could then consider changing to a credit meter (see below).
If there are arrears on a credit metered supply, the supplier can block a change of supplier.
New Tenants
New tenants need to be wary of taking and using the pre-payment card / key of the previous tenant, as using this will mean that any money paid will be credited to the previous users account. If there were any arrears, the amount being charged on the key will include arrears recovery for the previous users debt. This may be an opportunity for the new occupant to consider changing to a credit meter.
Other Help available:
For those on benefits or a low income, or if there is someone with a disability in the household, you could benefit from some schemes. Click on the links below to find out more:
Trust Funds
Charis Grants can provide financial relief for people experiencing hardship. They help vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills or have other essential needs.
Charis works with the following companies and Local Authorities to deliver a number of Charitable Trusts, Hardship Funds, (Welfare Schemes), Rebate Schemes and Social Tariffs:
