Energy grants and support if you’re struggling
*PLEASE BE AWARE THIS IS AN OLDER POST AND THERE MAY BE A MORE UP TO DATE POST, OR UPDATED INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ *
Contacting your energy supplier
If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills, it’s important that you contact your energy supplier as soon as you can.
You can ask your supplier about options such as changing your payment plan so it’s more affordable, giving you more time to pay, offering access to hardship funds or grants and offering advice on how to use less energy.
Accessing a grant to pay your energy debts
If you’re in debt to your energy supplier, you may be able to access a grant to pay this off. You should get in touch with our trained energy advice team to find out what grants may be available and if you could be eligible for extra support.
Getting emergency credit (if you’re on a prepayment meter)
If you use a prepayment meter and can’t afford to top it up, you can normally activate a small amount (usually £10) of ‘emergency credit’ either directly through your meter or by contacting your energy supplier.
You may be charged a fee for this, so it’s usually best to contact your energy supplier directly if you cannot afford to top up your prepayment meter. They may also be able to offer you support such as an adjusted payment plan.
Find more information on what to do if you can’t afford to top up your prepayment meter.
Joining the Priority Services Register
The Priority Services Register is a free service that energy suppliers and network operators offer, to help support people in vulnerable situations. You will be eligible to join the Priority Services Register if you:
have reached state pension age
have a long term medical condition or disability
are recovering from an injury
have a hearing or sight condition
have a mental health condition
are pregnant or have young children
have extra communication needs (e.g. not speaking or reading English well)
You may also be able to join for other reasons, such as if you need short-term support after being in hospital.
You can join the Priority Services Register by getting in touch with your energy supplier and telling them as much as you can about your current needs. If you rely on energy supply for your medical needs, they’ll pass this information on to your network operator too, to make sure you’re the first to know about any planned power cuts, and are prioritised to receive support in an emergency.
By joining you’ll also benefit from being able to:
nominate someone else to receive bills/communications from your supplier
get help with prepayment meter access
receive regular meter readings
receive accessible communications (e.g. large print or braille)
access other support services
Checking if you’re eligible for any benefits
Depending on your situation, you may be entitled to benefits. You can use a free online benefits calculator to see if you could claim any benefits that you’re not currently.
You can find more about what personal and financial details you’ll need to have ready to be able to calculate your benefit entitlement on the GOV.UK website
Checking if you’re eligible for any extra help or discounts
Warm Homes Discount
If you get certain benefits, you might be able to get £150 off your electricity bill or £150 added to your prepayment meter through the Warm Homes discount scheme. You’ll get the payment by the end of March 2024. You don’t need to apply for the scheme - payments are automatic.
Cold Weather Payments
If you receive benefits you might get a Cold Weather Payment when it's very cold. This is a one-off payment to help pay for extra heating costs. You’ll get Cold Weather Payments between 1 November and 31 March. You'll get a payment each time the average temperature in your area drops below zero degrees Celsius for 7 days in a row.
