Energy bills are one of the biggest worries for households on a low income, but there is a surprising amount of help available, much of which goes unclaimed. From discounts and grants to help with debt and making your home cheaper to heat, this guide explains how to get help with your energy bills, so you can keep your home warm without falling into difficulty.
The Warm Home Discount
One of the main forms of help is the Warm Home Discount, a one-off discount of £150 off your electricity bill for people on a low income, applied by your energy supplier during the winter. Many people qualify automatically based on their benefits, while others may need to apply, depending on their supplier and circumstances. If you are on a low income, it is well worth checking whether you are getting this discount, as it makes a real difference.
Help from your energy supplier
If you are struggling to pay, your energy supplier should be your first port of call, as they are required to help customers in difficulty. They can offer affordable payment plans, and some run hardship funds or trust funds that can provide grants towards your bills or arrears, sometimes even clearing debt. Suppliers can also review your payments and bills to make sure they are right. Contact them early, as they would rather help than see you fall behind.
The Priority Services Register
If you are of pension age, disabled, have a long-term health condition, or are in a vulnerable situation, you can join the Priority Services Register, which is free. It gives you extra support from your energy supplier and network, such as advance notice of any planned power cut, priority in an emergency, and help in ways tailored to your needs. It does not reduce your bill on its own, but it provides important protection, so it is worth signing up.
Paying off energy debt
If you have fallen behind on your energy bills, there is help to deal with the debt. As well as supplier hardship funds, if you receive certain benefits you may be able to have an amount paid directly to your energy supplier from your benefits to cover your usage and gradually clear arrears. This can be a manageable way to deal with debt while keeping your supply on. Getting advice early gives you the best chance of sorting it out.
Winter heating help
There is extra help with heating costs in winter. Depending on your circumstances, you may get the Winter Fuel Payment if you are over State Pension age, a Cold Weather Payment during a spell of very cold weather, or, in Scotland, a fixed Winter Heating Payment. These payments are separate from the Warm Home Discount and can be received alongside it, so it is worth checking which winter help you are entitled to as the colder months approach.
Making your home cheaper to heat
One of the best ways to cut your energy bills for good is to make your home more energy efficient, and there are schemes that help fund this for people on a low income or in certain homes. Help with insulation, such as loft and cavity wall insulation, and with more efficient heating can reduce your bills year after year. Because the savings continue long after the work is done, it is well worth checking whether you qualify.
Check you are on the best deal
It is also worth making sure you are not paying more than you need to. Check how you pay, as paying by direct debit is often cheaper, and make sure your bills are based on actual rather than estimated readings, which a smart meter can help with. If you are in credit with your supplier, you can ask for it back. Small checks like these can stop you overpaying and make your energy costs easier to manage.
Get advice if you are in difficulty
If your energy bills are becoming unmanageable, getting advice early can make a real difference. Advice agencies can help you check you are getting all the discounts and grants you qualify for, deal with any debt, negotiate with your supplier, and make sure you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to, which can ease the wider pressure on your budget. You do not have to face energy debt alone, and help is available.
Do not cut back on heating dangerously
Worrying about bills can tempt people to go without heating, but going cold can be dangerous, especially for older people, young children and those with health conditions. Rather than risk your health, it is far better to claim the help available, talk to your supplier, and get advice. There is support precisely so that you do not have to choose between heating and other essentials, so reach out for it before cutting back to unsafe levels.
Bring your bills together
Energy is often one of several bills a struggling household is juggling, so it can help to look at it alongside your other costs, such as water, council tax and broadband, as part of getting your whole budget onto the best footing. An adviser can help you tackle these together, making sure you are on the cheapest arrangements and claiming all the help you can. Dealing with them as a whole often achieves more than tackling each alone.
Check you are getting every discount
It is easy to miss out on energy help simply because you do not know it exists or assume you would not qualify. As well as the Warm Home Discount, there may be supplier schemes, local council help and grants you are entitled to, and claiming all the benefits you are due can in turn unlock further energy support. Taking the time to check, or asking an adviser to check for you, can uncover help you did not realise was available.
Smart meters and keeping track
A smart meter can help you keep on top of your energy use and your bills, because it sends accurate readings to your supplier and shows you what you are using, so you are billed for what you actually use rather than an estimate. Seeing your usage can also help you spot where you might cut back. Smart meters are usually offered at no extra cost, so it is worth asking your supplier whether one would help you manage.
In short
Help with energy bills includes the £150 Warm Home Discount, payment plans and grants from your supplier, the Priority Services Register for extra support, and help to pay off energy debt from your benefits. Winter brings further payments, and efficiency schemes can cut your bills for good. Contact your supplier early if you are struggling, and check you are on the best deal.
You do not have to struggle in silence
Above all, if you are worried about your energy bills, do not struggle in silence. Suppliers, advice agencies and charities are all there to help, and there is a real range of support, from discounts and grants to debt help and efficiency improvements. Reaching out early, before a small worry becomes a large debt, gives you the most options and the best chance of keeping your home warm and your costs under control.
Where to get help
Citizens Advice and your energy supplier can help if you are struggling with energy costs. See our guides to the Warm Home Discount and cold weather and winter heating help.