Struggling to pay your energy bills? Your energy supplier may not promote help for customers as well as they should. Inexperienced advisors, targets to be met, and costs to the company can all be factors. Here is some help on reducing your energy bills.
Can't afford to pay the amount your company is recovering for debt on your prepayment meter? If you are on income support or job seekers allowance contact your supplier and ask that they reduce your weekly recovery rate as you are on benefits. They may ask for proof of benefits.
Get that prepayment meter out! If you have no arrears on your meter and have had it in long enough, ask your supplier to remove it. You can be paying so much more by having one.
Pay by Monthly Direct Debit. The majority of suppliers will offer you a duel fuel discount for paying this way. Could save you around £80-£100 per year.
Cap your prices. A lot of suppliers will cap prices free for a period of time, for customers as long as they contact them and ask to do so.
Sign on Line. Using comparison engines is fine but you can also find out more about the company by checking out their websites too. Because your getting paperless bills etc, there is less admin for the company therefore may reflect in your prices.
In debt and classed as disabled, unable to pay for both your usage and arrears. Contact your local benefits office and ask if they will pay for your supply through direct payments. It won't reduce your amount for usage but will keep your payment for arrears to a minimum.
In arrears and struggling to pay both your usage and debt. The majority of suppliers now have a tariff for customers who are in fuel poverty (paying more than 10% of your income for fuel). There is a few criteria that you would need to meet however if you qualify you will be placed on a lower tariff and if you make so many payments on time they may clear the debt from your account.
Struggling to pay for your annual gas safety check. If you are classed as disabled either physically or mentally, are elderly many suppliers have register available to customers. If you and anyone else living with you over the age of 18 is disabled you may qualify to have this done free by your supply company every year. There also other benefits to this register such as quarterly meter readings; large print bills; audio bills; special plugs and adaptors.
Energy Efficiency advice. Every supplier is now obligated to provide customers with free advice on how to save energy. A lot of people think that there's nothing at all they could cut down on, but through experience you'd be very surprised. Many also offer free Energy Advisor home visits. They will go through your bills with you have a look around your appliances; if they think that an appliance you have many need checking due to the age of it etc they'll let you know. Faulty electrical appliances can be a cause for high usage.
Yes some of these benefits are the reason that it is costing customers more for their supply, a lot of it now because suppliers have been set a target to help customers in fuel poverty. If you're paying for it you might as well reap the benefits and get the service that you are paying for and entitled to.
