At a glance
The short answer: ask your gas supplier to apply the charter
Northern Ireland’s Domestic Consumer Energy Charter gives households extra help with gas and electricity costs during winter 2026/27. All Northern Ireland gas and electricity suppliers signed the voluntary commitments, which run from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. They sit alongside protections that suppliers provide throughout the year.
For a gas customer struggling to pay, the most useful step is to contact the supplier early and say what is unaffordable. The charter covers referrals for independent support, a discussion about tariff options, limits and reviews for debt deductions through prepayment meters, and extra checks after a meter is changed to recover debt. It does not automatically cancel a balance or guarantee a hardship payment.
This charter applies in Northern Ireland. Great Britain has different Ofgem rules and supplier commitments, so customers in England, Scotland and Wales should use the gas bill help guide instead.
What extra help is available from November to March?
The participating suppliers have made seven winter commitments. Each supplier will contribute to a third-party hardship fund and offer to refer customers who are struggling with bills or prepayment top-ups to a consumer body for support such as debt advice or a benefits check. When a customer makes contact about payment difficulty, the supplier will also discuss tariff options that may suit their needs.
A contribution to a hardship fund is not the same as a grant for every customer. The Utility Regulator’s FAQ says suppliers choose how much to contribute, while the organisation running the fund decides who qualifies and how support is accessed. Ask the supplier which fund it supports, whether applications are open and what evidence the fund needs.
The remaining commitments focus on prepayment meters and debt recovery. They limit the starting deduction for new arrangements, require a review for customers at the normal maximum deduction, add aftercare following a meter move, protect people on customer care registers from an unwanted move, and create a two-month pause on certain non-consensual moves.
- Ask for a referral: a consumer body can check benefits and help with debt rather than simply recording that you called.
- Ask about tariffs: compare the complete unit rate, standing charge and payment method before agreeing to change.
- Ask about hardship support: confirm the fund provider, eligibility rules and application route.
- Keep a record: note the date, adviser, agreed payment and review date.
How the 20% prepayment debt limit works
When a Northern Ireland customer starts repaying debt through a prepayment meter, the supplier has committed not to set the deduction above 20% of each top-up unless the customer asks for a higher rate. A customer already paying the normal maximum rate of 40% should be contacted and offered the option to reduce it.
For example, a 20% deduction from a £20 top-up sends £4 to debt and leaves £16 for new gas. At 40%, £8 would go to debt and £12 would buy gas. This calculation shows the split only: the amount of gas bought still depends on the tariff, and any emergency credit or other charges can affect what appears on the meter.
A lower percentage makes more of the next top-up available for current use, but it takes longer to clear the old balance. The charter also says suppliers should keep assessing affordability and can reduce a repayment rate or allow more time when circumstances change. Read the prepayment gas meter help guide if credit is already low or the meter has gone off supply.
| Debt deduction | Paid towards debt | Left for new gas |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | £4 | £16 |
| 40% | £8 | £12 |
This is a simple percentage example. Meter balances can also reflect emergency credit and other agreed charges.
When can a supplier move you to prepayment?
From 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2027, a participating supplier will not move a customer in debt onto a prepayment meter without that customer’s consent. The narrower two-month period is easy to confuse with the charter’s full November-to-March term, so check the date and the exact action being proposed.
A customer on a gas supplier’s customer care register receives a broader charter commitment: the supplier will not move them onto prepayment unless they ask, and it should explain why the payment method may or may not suit them. If you have a disability, long-term health condition, difficulty using or reaching a meter, or another support need, tell the supplier and ask whether you are eligible for its register.
Where a customer is moved to prepayment to recover debt, the supplier has promised enhanced aftercare. That includes checking whether the repayment plan remains manageable. Do not wait for the check-in if top-ups are leaving too little for heating or hot water; contact the supplier and ask for an affordability review.
Support that should continue all year
The charter also lists commitments that are not limited to winter. A supplier says it will not disconnect a customer for debt while that customer is willing to work with it and keeps in touch. It should discuss an affordable repayment plan based on individual circumstances and a suitable payment method, then reassess the plan if those circumstances change.
Keeping in touch matters, but it does not mean accepting a figure you cannot maintain. Prepare a short income-and-essential-spending summary and offer an amount that covers current use plus an affordable contribution to debt. If the balance looks wrong, ask for the readings, bills and payments behind it before agreeing the total. The gas disconnection and debt guide explains the separate Northern Ireland payment-of-bills safeguards.
Suppliers also commit to practical energy-efficiency advice and to explaining their customer care registers. You can use two meter readings and the tariff details in the gas bill calculator to estimate current use before discussing a plan, but treat the result as an estimate rather than a replacement supplier bill.
A useful checklist before you contact the supplier
Have the account number, a recent meter reading, the amount you can pay after essentials and details of any support needs ready. Explain whether the problem is a bill, an old balance, a prepayment deduction or an inability to top up. Ask the adviser to separate the cost of current gas from the debt repayment so you can see what each payment is doing.
Request a written summary of the plan, including the deduction percentage or payment amount, the review date, any referral and any hold on meter action. If the supplier does not follow an agreed commitment, complain to it first. The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland can provide independent help with an unresolved energy complaint.
Do not interfere with a meter or gas appliance to reduce costs. If you smell gas or suspect an appliance is unsafe, treat that as a safety issue and follow the emergency guidance rather than waiting for a billing adviser.
- What balance does the supplier say is owed, and which bills created it?
- How much of each payment buys current gas and how much repays debt?
- Is the proposed amount affordable after food, housing and other essentials?
- Should the customer be added to the supplier’s customer care register?
- What referral, hardship-fund route or benefits check is available now?
Frequently asked questions
Does the NI Energy Charter write off gas debt?
No. It adds support commitments, including affordable repayment discussions, referrals and prepayment protections. A hardship fund may help some people, but eligibility and awards are decided by the organisation running that fund.
Can more than 20% be taken from a gas top-up for debt?
For a customer new to prepayment debt recovery during the charter period, the supplier has committed not to start above 20% unless the customer asks for more. Existing customers at the normal 40% maximum should be offered a lower rate.
Does the winter ban prevent every prepayment meter change?
No. The commitment prevents a customer in debt being moved without consent between 1 December 2026 and 31 January 2027. A separate commitment says customers on supplier customer care registers will not be moved unless they ask.
Which suppliers take part in the Northern Ireland charter?
The Utility Regulator says all Northern Ireland electricity and gas suppliers signed the 2026/27 domestic charter. For household gas, the published charter identifies firmus energy and SSE Airtricity among the participating suppliers.
Does the charter apply in England, Scotland or Wales?
No. It is a Northern Ireland charter developed with the Utility Regulator and Consumer Council. Ofgem regulates household gas suppliers in Great Britain under a different framework.
Sources
Rates and rules checked on 13 November 2026. Time-sensitive figures should be checked again before use.