In Energy Debt?: How to Get Support This Winter
Guides
- Contact your supplier early. Ask for an affordable repayment plan, check the Priority Services Register (PSR) and Warm Home Discount
- If you are on prepayment, now your emergency credit options and that unit rates are the same as direct debit
- Cut costs and avoid surprises. Send regular meter readings (or get a smart meter), check your tariff and use a few quick home wins from LEAP.
This week, it’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day. With millions still struggling and debt at record levels, it’s a good moment to check what help you can get and how to stay warm safely.
NEA reports that domestic energy debt recently reached £4.43 billion. 58% of adults are expected to ration heating this winter, while 38% of prepayment customers ran out of credit at least once in the last year. A typical bill today is around £1,755 a year. Acting early can stop debts from growing, so here are a few tips from LEAP to protect you this winter.
Talk to your supplier (earlier is better)
Tell your supplier you’re struggling. Under Ofgem rules, suppliers must work with you on a plan you can afford. Ask about spreading arrears, short-term breathing space or hardship funds.
Join the Priority Services Register (PSR)
If you’re of pension age, have a disability or long-term condition, live with under-5s or need accessible formats, the PSR gives extra help (e.g safer-visit passwords, help with meter readings). Ask both your supplier and your network operator to add you.
Check the Warm Home Discount (WHD)
From winter 2025/26, eligible households receive a £150 one-off credit, with many people on means-tested benefits receiving it automatically. Make sure the correct name is on your electricity bill to confirm eligibility.
How to protect yourself if you’re on a prepayment meter
- Prepay customers now pay the same unit rates as direct debit; your supplier should apply new rates automatically
- If you run out unexpectedly, you can access emergency credit and repay it on your next top-up. Check your meter/supplier for how it works
- Smart prepayment lets you top up by app/online/phone as well as in shops, handy in bad weather or if mobility is an issue
- If you’re repeatedly self-disconnecting, tell your supplier; they should help you find a safer, sustainable plan
Quick home wins to stay warm for less
A few ten-minute jobs can help right away:
- Bleed radiators so they heat evenly
- Draught-proof doors and windows and close curtains at dusk
- Use sensible schedules and heat to the lowest comfortable temperature (usually 18-21°C)
Make sure your bills match real use
If you don’t have a smart meter, submit regular readings to avoid estimates; ask your supplier about getting a smart meter so readings are automatic and bills are accurate. Then review your tariff as there may be a cheaper option.
Early heads up: Debt relief scheme announced for 2026
Ofgem has announced plans for a Debt Relief Scheme, with the first phase expected in early 2026. The proposal aims to tackle historical debt built up during the energy crisis, initially focusing on people on means-tested benefits with over £100 of debt from April 2022-March 2024.
Final details are being consulted on; eligible households should be identified and contacted by suppliers. Keep in touch with LEAP for the latest guidance and what it might mean for you; we’ll keep you updated as more is confirmed.
Until then, LEAP can offer you free, practical energy advice. We can:
- Review your situation and help you ask for an affordable repayment plan
Add you to the PSR, check Warm Home Discount and other support - Explain prepay features (including emergency credit) and ways to avoid self-disconnection
- Show you quick fixes at home and how to get accurate bill readings
