Energy costs

If you're finding it hard to pay your energy bills, speak to your supplier as soon as you can. Under Ofgem rules, they must offer support. This often includes setting up a payment plan that works for you.

There’s no need to panic. Your energy won’t be cut off. Suppliers can offer different types of help, such as:

• Reviewing your payment plan
• Setting up affordable repayment options
• Offering payment breaks (if suitable)
• Reducing payments
• Giving you more time to pay
• Providing access to hardship funds. click here to find out more about hardship funds (this is a link to another website)

Support is based on your personal situation, and any repayments must be affordable. So it’s important to get in touch with your supplier as early as possible.

If you're finding it hard to keep your prepay meter topped up and are at risk of losing supply, your energy supplier must offer help. Get in touch with them as soon as possible.

Here’s what they can do:

Emergency credit

Most suppliers offer small amounts of emergency credit. You’ll usually get £5 on your gas meter and £5 on your electricity meter. You can use this when your balance is low usually below 50p for electricity or £2 for gas. How you access it depends on your meter, so check with your supplier. You’ll need to pay it back when you next top up.

Friendly credit

You won’t be cut off during evenings, weekends or bank holidays if your meter runs out. This is called friendly credit. It helps when shops are closed and you can’t top up. You’ll need to repay what you use the next time you add credit.

Typical friendly credit hours are:

• From around 6pm to 9am Monday to Saturday
• All day Sunday
• Bank holidays

Times may vary slightly depending on your supplier.

Additional support credit

If you can’t afford to top up and are at risk of losing supply, you may be able to get extra support credit. This is usually for people in vulnerable situations, such as:

• Those of state pension age
• People with disabilities
• Anyone with a long-term health condition

Your supplier will decide how much support credit you can get and will work with you to set up a repayment plan based on what you can afford.

Even if you’re not in a vulnerable group, your supplier may still help. They could:

• Offer support credit
• Review any debts linked to your meter
• Give access to hardship funds

Support is offered on a case-by-case basis, so it’s important to contact your supplier early.

Extra protections

Ofgem has strengthened rules for prepay customers. Suppliers must now reach out to people who have self-disconnected because they couldn’t afford to top up. This includes help with repaying standing charges.

You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to get help. The  British Gas Energy Trust Individual and Families Fund  offers grants of up to  £1,500  to help with energy debt.

Who can apply?

To be eligible, you usually need to:

• Spend more than 10% of your income on energy
• Have less than £1,000 in savings
• Owe at least £250 in energy debt
• Have already spoken to a charity or money adviser
• Not have received a grant from the Trust in the last two years

How to apply

The application process can take a few weeks and you’ll need to provide details about your income, spending and debts. You must speak to a debt adviser before applying.

Charities that can help include:

• National Energy Action
• Home Energy Scotland
• Citizens Advice

British Gas also runs a similar scheme for its own customers, but this is currently closed to new applications.

Many energy companies offer hardship funds to help customers who are struggling with energy debt. These include:

• EDF Energy Customer Support Fund
• E.on Next Energy Fund
• Ovo Energy Fund
• Octo Assist Fund
• Scottish Power Hardship Fund

To apply, you must be a customer of the supplier. Like the British Gas scheme, the application process can take time and requires detailed information.

You’ll usually need to:

• Speak to a debt adviser before applying
• Complete a full budget showing your income and spending
• Provide proof of your income
• Explain how your debt built up
• Show how the grant will help you

Each supplier has its own rules. Some may ask if you receive certain benefits. Support is given based on need, so it’s important to apply early and give as much detail as you can.

More than eight million households in the UK will get  £650  to help with rising living costs. This support is part of a wider package from the Government.

Who will get it?

You may be eligible if you receive one of the following means-tested benefits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Pension Credit

To qualify, you must have received a payment between  26 April and 25 May 2022.

If you get  Pension Credit, you must have been claiming it by  25 May 2022. If you were eligible but haven’t claimed yet, you can backdate your claim by three months, but do this as soon as possible.

How will it be paid?

The payment will be made in two parts:

• £326  from  14 July
• A second payment in the autumn

If you receive  tax credits only, your payments will come from  HMRC, not the DWP, and may arrive slightly later.

Will it affect my benefits?

No. The payment is  tax-free, won’t count towards the  benefit cap, and won’t affect your existing benefits.

What if I don’t get the payment?

If you think you’re eligible but haven’t received the payment, contact the office that pays your benefit or tax credits to check.

If someone in your household is over  state pension age (66 or older)  between  19 and 25 September 2022, you may get help with energy costs through the Government’s  Winter Fuel Payment.

This payment is usually between  £100 and £300, but this year includes a  one-off £300 top-up  as part of the cost of living support package. That means you could receive up to  £600.

Payments will be made  automatically  in  November or December  and will go into the same account where you receive your benefits.

Around six million people in the UK will receive a  one-off £150 payment  in September  to help with extra costs like specialist equipment, food and transport.

Who can get it?

You may be eligible if you were receiving  or had started a successful claim by  25 May 2022 for one of the following benefits:

• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Scottish Disability Benefits
• War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement

If you’ve swapped your disability benefit for mobility aids through the  Motability Scheme, you may still qualify. Details on how this will work are still being confirmed.

How will it be paid?

The payment will be made  automatically  into the account where you receive your benefits.

Will it affect my other benefits?

No. The payment is  tax-free, won’t count towards the  benefit cap, and won’t affect your existing benefits.

The Warm Home Discount  scheme helps millions of households in the UK with energy costs during winter. Energy suppliers with more than 50,000 customers must support people who need help.

If you have a standard credit meter, the discount is not paid to you directly. Instead,  £150  is taken off your electricity or gas bill between  October and March. If you use a prepay meter, you will usually receive a top-up voucher.

Who can get it?

If you or your partner receive the  guarantee credit  part of  Pension Credit, and your name is on the energy bill, you should qualify automatically. This is called  core group 1.

If your energy supplier is part of the scheme, you should get a letter between  October and December  confirming when the discount will be applied.

If you receive certain  means-tested benefits, such as  Income Support  or  Universal Credit, and are considered to have  high energy costs, you may also qualify automatically. This is called  core group 2 .

If you qualify and your supplier is part of the scheme, you should receive a letter confirming when the £150 will be taken off your bill.

The Government is also working on an online tool to help people check if they are eligible.

Full list of energy providers part of this scheme

Affect Energy (contact Octopus Energy)	M&S Energy (contact Octopus Energy)
Atlantic (contact SSE)	Octopus Energy
Boost	Ovo Energy
British Gas (including Scottish Gas)	Qwest Energy (contact Octopus Energy)
British Gas Evolve	Roar Power (contact Octopus Energy)
Bulb	Sainsbury's Energy
Co-op Energy (contact Octopus Energy)	Scottish Power
E (gas and electricity)	Shell Energy
E.on	So Energy
E.on Next	SSE
Ecotricity (1)	SSE Southern Electric
EDF Energy	SSE Scottish Hydro
Green Energy UK (1)	SSE Swalec
London Power (contact Octopus Energy)	Utilita
Lumo (contact Ovo Energy)	Utility Warehouse

1) Only provides the discount to the 'core group'. 

To qualify for the Warm Home Discount under  core group 2 , you must receive one of the following  means-tested benefits:

• Child Tax Credit (if your household income is below a certain level)
• Housing Benefit
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit (savings credit element)
• Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit (if your household income is below a certain level)

You must also be considered to have  high energy costs.

How is “high energy costs” decided?

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) sets the threshold each year. It uses data from the Valuation Office Agency to look at:

• The type of property (for example, semi-detached or detached)
• The age of the property
• The size of the property (floor area)

At the moment, it is difficult to check if your home meets the criteria. However,  Ofgem  has said that BEIS is working on a tool to help people check their eligibility.

If temperatures drop to freezing in your area, you may be able to get  £25  to help with energy costs through the  Cold Weather Payment  scheme.

How does it work?

You can get £25 for each  seven-day period  when the average temperature is, or is forecast to be,  0°C or below. This applies between  1 November and 31 March.

Payments are usually made automatically if you receive  Pension Credit  or certain other benefits.

Who can get it?

You may qualify if you receive one of the following:

• Pension Credit
  You will usually get the payment if you do not live in a care home.

• Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  You may qualify if you:

  • Have a disability or pensioner premium
  • Have a disabled child
  • Get Child Tax Credit with a disability element
  • Have a child under five living with you

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  You may qualify if you:

  • Have a severe or enhanced disability premium
  • Have a pensioner premium
  • Have a disabled child
  • Get Child Tax Credit with a disability element
  • Have a child under five living with you

• Universal Credit
  You may qualify if you:

  • Have a health condition or disability and limited capability for work
  • Have a child under five living with you

• Support for Mortgage Interest
  You may qualify if you:

  • Have a disability or pensioner premium
  • Have a disabled child
  • Get Child Tax Credit with a disability element
  • Have a child under five living with you

Councils in England have access to funding through the  Household Support Fund  to help people who are most in need. The fund is designed to support vulnerable households with essential costs such as energy bills, housing, food and other daily needs.

Between  April and September 2022, councils could use up to  £1 billion  in funding. The Government has extended the scheme with an extra  £500 million  available from  October 2022 to March 2023.

Who can get help?

Each council decides who qualifies, so eligibility may vary. In general, the fund is aimed at households that are struggling and need extra support.

To find out what help is available in your area and how to apply, contact your local council as soon as you can. Funding is limited and may run out.

If you are finding it hard to pay your energy bills and receive certain benefits, you may be able to use a Government scheme called  Fuel Direct . This is also known as  third party deductions.

The scheme allows a fixed amount to be taken from your benefit payments each week to help pay off energy debt and cover ongoing usage.

How to apply

To set this up, contact your  Jobcentre  or  Pension Centre  (if you receive Pension Credit). You will need to give them details of your energy supplier and how much you owe. They will then contact your supplier to arrange the payments.

How much will be taken?

• If you receive Universal Credit:
  A fixed rate of  5%  of your entitlement will be paid directly to your supplier. This can cover gas, electricity and water.

• If you receive other benefits:
  A set amount of  £3.70  per week will be taken to pay off your debt. An extra amount will also be taken to cover your current energy use.
  For example, if you use £5 of energy a week, a total of  £8.70  will be deducted.

Important to know

If the total amount taken (for debt and usage) is less than  25%  of your benefit payments, the scheme can be set up without your permission. Make sure you understand the terms before applying.

You can use Fuel Direct if you receive:

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit

The  Breathing Space scheme  is a Government programme that gives you a break from debt. It can help reduce stress and give you time to get support.

If you qualify, the people you owe money to must stop chasing you. They also can’t add extra charges or interest to your debts for up to 60 days.

The charity  StepChange  can explain who can apply and help you through the steps.

The Priority Services Register is a free service from energy companies. It helps people who might need extra support.

You could get help such as:

• Advance warning about power cuts. This is useful if you need electricity for medical equipment.
• Extra help during emergencies. For example, support with heating or cooking if the power goes out.
• ID and password checks. This helps you know that energy staff are genuine.
• Nominee support. Someone else can get your bills and messages.
• Help with prepayment meters. Your supplier might move your meter if you cannot reach it.
• Regular meter readings. This is useful if you cannot read your meter yourself.
• Accessible bills and letters. You can ask for large print or Braille.

To join, contact your energy supplier and ask to be added. If you have different suppliers for gas and electricity, speak to both. If you switch supplier, ask your new one to add you again.

You can join if:

• You have reached state pension age
• You have a disability or long-term health condition
• You are recovering from an injury
• You have problems with hearing or sight
• You have a mental health condition
• You are pregnant or have children under five
• You find it hard to speak or read English

You might still be able to join for other reasons. For example, if you have just come out of hospital and need short-term help.