Can’t Pay Your Gas Bill? Get Help and Make a Payment Plan

The short answer: tell your supplier what you can afford

If you cannot pay a gas bill, or think the next payment will fail, contact your energy supplier as soon as possible. In Great Britain, Ofgem says suppliers must work with customers in payment difficulty to agree an affordable payment plan. You can ask for a review of payments and debt repayments, more time to pay, a payment break or reduction, and information about hardship funds.

Do not promise an amount that leaves too little for essentials. Explain your income, necessary household spending, other priority debts and any change in circumstances. A workable arrangement normally has to cover both ongoing gas use and something towards the arrears, but the debt contribution should reflect what you can afford.

Keep heating safety in mind while dealing with the bill. Do not block ventilation, interfere with a meter or attempt gas work to reduce costs. If you use prepayment and have run out of credit, follow our prepayment meter help guide for emergency, friendly-hours and additional support credit.

Check the bill and prepare before you call

A short preparation makes the conversation more useful. Find the latest bill, account number and tariff details. Take an actual meter reading if it is safe and accessible, then check whether the bill used an actual or estimated reading. A large catch-up bill can follow a run of estimates, while a wrong reading or meter serial number can make the account inaccurate.

Write down what comes in each month and the essential costs that must be paid. Include rent or mortgage, Council Tax or rates, food, travel, essential medical costs and other priority commitments. If several bills are in arrears, use a free debt adviser rather than deciding alone which creditor to pay first; gas and electricity arrears are priority debts because non-payment can have serious consequences.

Also note what changed: reduced income, illness, caring responsibilities, a higher Direct Debit, colder weather or an unexpected correction. Tell the supplier if anyone in the household is older, disabled, has a long-term health condition or relies on energy for medical equipment. You may also qualify for free practical support through the Priority Services Register in Great Britain or a customer-care register in Northern Ireland.

• Account evidence: latest bill, account number, meter serial number and recent readings.
• Affordable budget: income, essential outgoings and other priority debts.
• Household circumstances: health, disability, age, caring duties or a recent income shock.
• Your request: the payment you can maintain and when the plan should be reviewed.

How an affordable gas-bill payment plan works

A repayment plan separates future energy use from the existing debt. Citizens Advice says the supplier must consider what you can afford and how much energy you are likely to use. Regular meter readings can make the estimate of ongoing use more accurate. Ask the supplier to explain both parts of the payment, the total balance, how long repayment is expected to take and what happens if your circumstances change.

For example, suppose current gas use is budgeted at £25 a week and you can afford £5 a week towards £400 of arrears. The combined payment would be £30 a week, and the debt alone would take 80 weeks to clear if no further debt or charges were added: £400 ÷ £5 = 80. This is only an illustration, not a recommended amount. If £30 is not sustainable for your household, propose a lower affordable figure and explain the budget behind it.

Ask for the agreement in writing. Check each statement to make sure payments are allocated correctly and new usage is not creating more arrears. If the amount becomes unaffordable, contact the supplier again promptly and ask for a review rather than silently missing payments. Ofgem specifically lists payment breaks or reductions and more time to pay among the support a supplier may offer.

Use your own bill and budget. The supplier should base any arrangement on your circumstances, not this example.

Ask about grants, benefits and other support

Ask your supplier whether it has a hardship fund, grant or trust and what evidence an application needs. Awards are not automatic and schemes differ, so use the supplier’s current rules rather than assuming you qualify. Also check the government support available where you live and whether you are receiving all benefits to which the household is entitled.

If you receive certain benefits, Fuel Direct may allow payments for energy debt to be taken from benefits. GOV.UK calls these third-party deductions. The benefit office decides whether deductions apply, and the arrangement can include ongoing usage as well as debt in some circumstances. Get advice before agreeing if you are unsure how deductions will affect the rest of your budget.

The Warm Home Discount may help an eligible household, but it is not an immediate replacement for contacting the supplier about arrears. A dual-fuel customer may be able to have the discount applied to gas in some circumstances. Check the scheme rules and timing rather than subtracting it from a payment plan before it appears on the account.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland have different rules

Ofgem regulates household energy suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales. Its guidance says a supplier must work with a customer to agree an affordable payment plan. Citizens Advice provides country-specific consumer help and can support a complaint or negotiation when the supplier’s proposal does not reflect ability to pay.

Northern Ireland has a separate regulator, market and consumer-protection framework. The Utility Regulator’s payment-of-bills code says suppliers must help customers avoid or manage debt and agree repayment arrangements suitable for their personal circumstances and ability to pay. If an existing plan is unaffordable, ask the supplier to review it. The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland can help if the matter is not resolved.

Do not assume an Ofgem protection, price-cap rule or support scheme applies unchanged in Northern Ireland. Start with the regulator and advice service for the nation where the account is supplied.

What to do if the supplier does not resolve it

Keep a record of calls, messages, meter readings and offers you made. If the bill itself appears wrong, tell the supplier that you are disputing the amount and why. Our high gas bill checklist can help separate a usage increase from an estimated reading, tariff change or billing error. You can also use the gas bill calculator to estimate a measured period from two readings, but the supplier’s corrected statement remains the account record.

Use the supplier’s formal complaints process if it will not consider an affordable arrangement, explain the balance or correct an error. Ask a free debt adviser for help if there are several debts, court papers, threatened enforcement or not enough money for food and heating. MoneyHelper’s debt advice locator can direct you to free, confidential services.

Avoid fee-charging debt firms or new borrowing presented as a quick fix before taking impartial advice. A payment plan should stabilise the account without making essential living costs impossible. The useful next step is the one you can maintain: accurate readings, an honest budget, a written offer and an agreed date to review it.