Speak, Seek, Save.

What to do if you owe money to your energy supplier

If you’re in debt to your energy supplier - you should speak, seek, save. It’s important to speak to them as soon as possible. Here’s what you need to know.

Speak to your energy supplier

If you’re struggling to afford your bills, you should contact your supplier as soon as possible.

Your supplier has to help you come to a solution and negotiate a payment plan that works for both of you. When making a payment plan, they have to take into account how much you can afford to pay and how much energy you’ll use in future. On a payment plan, you’ll pay in fixed amounts towards the debt you owe over a set period of time.

If you can’t come to an agreement with your supplier about repaying your debt, you should get help from one of our consumer advisers. If you live in Scotland, you should contact Advice Direct Scotland.

Seek advice on managing debt

Energy bill debt is classed as a priority debt so it’s important to get advice from a charity or organisation to help you manage your debt as soon as you can.

A debt charity will help you with long-term strategies to reduce your debt.

But be careful as not all debt advice is trustworthy. You should use the StepChange checklist on the StepChange website to make sure you’re getting advice you can trust.

National providers of free debt advice include Citizens Advice, StepChange and the National Debtline.

Save energy by making sure your home is energy efficient

There are simple changes you can make around your home to be more energy efficient, such as checking your central heating or using your appliances differently.

You might also be able to get towards the cost of making bigger energy efficiency changes around your home such as getting a new heating system.

But make sure you keep your home warm enough so there’s less risk of your home becoming damp and you getting ill. And make sure you keep essential appliances, such as your fridge switched on.

Smart meters can help you manage your energy use - they can show you what you’re using in real time so you can better understand how you are using energy in your home or business. Having a smart meter also means you can take part in schemes where you could be rewarded for using energy outside of peak times, or be able to access free energy at certain times. Find out more about smart meters on the Smart Energy GB website.

Need more help?

Our consumer service can help if you’re struggling to afford your energy bills or struggling to come to an agreement with your supplier.

We’re working with Energy UK to raise awareness of what to do if you’re in debt to your energy supplier. You can find out more about what Energy UK do on their website.