Struggling to pay your energy bill?

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bill, we’ll do all we can to help.

The first step is to get in touch and let us know.

Our friendly team will:

Possible solutions we may be able to offer include:

  • Agreeing that you can repay a debt to us in installments
  • Agreeing that you can pay future bills to us in installments
  • Installing a prepayment meter at your property where it is safe and/or practical to do so 
  • Arranging for payment directly from benefits through the Fuel Direct scheme if you are on certain means-tested benefits. 
  • Agreeing that you can defer payment for a short period of time

While we agree on a plan for you, it’s important that you keep sending us regular meter readings, so that we have an accurate record of how much energy you’ve used. Read our advice on how to read your meter if you’re unsure how to do this. 

It’s also important that you continue to make payments as regularly as you can, even if you cannot provide the full amount. This will help to avoid a large outstanding balance.

Protecting your credit rating

You’re legally obliged to pay for the energy you use. If you don’t make regular payments, this could result in further action being taken against you which could lead to a negative impact on your credit rating.

If we're unable to talk to you

If payments are outstanding on your account and we’ve not been able to speak to you despite several attempts, we’ll ask one of our debt collection agencies, OPOS, CRS, or CDS to contact you to organise payment.

OPOS, CRS and CDS are accredited companies who specialise in collections for energy suppliers and will contact you on our behalf in a variety of ways (email, telephone call, text as well as letter).

If OPOS, CRS or CDS have contacted you, please get back to them using the details they’ve provided. They’ll work with you to explore the best route to clear any balance outstanding on your account.

Installing a pre-payment meter

We'll offer to install a prepayment meter in your home if you have declined our proposals for payment.

If we have been unable to make contact with you, we may arrange for a Debt Counselling Agent (DCA) from Conexus Recovery and Field Services to visit your property to discuss the options available.

Conexus Recovery are a regulated debt recovery organisation who act on our behalf. They listen and consider customers’ full circumstances before acting. All their practices/processes are underpinned by the core principle of treating every customer fairly.

If you decline our offer of a prepayment meter, or if we continue to be unable to make contact with you, we may need to apply to a magistrate for a warrant to access the property and install a prepayment meter without your consent.

If we install a prepayment meter to help you repay your debt to Bristol Energy, we will advise you of:

  • How much money you owe and why
  • The amount of debt that we’ll recover through the prepayment meter each week
  • Details of any standing charges that you’ll have to pay
  • How long it will take to clear the debt at the agreed repayment rate
  • How to operate your prepayment meter
  • The amount of emergency credit available on your prepayment meter and how this works
  • A telephone number for advice and emergencies; and details of any charges for replacing lost or damaged prepayment devices.

If it’s unsafe or impractical to install a prepayment meter, we’ll make a further attempt to agree a repayment plan, taking into account all information that we have about your individual circumstances and ability to pay.

We may also prevent you from switching away from Bristol Energy to another supplier until the debt is repaid. However, if you have a prepayment meter and your debt is £500 or less, you may switch to another supplier provided they agree that you can repay the debt to them, rather than to us.

Further action

We’d always prefer to avoid further action, but we may be required to take steps if you:

  • Fail to keep to an agreed repayment plan
  • Interfere or tamper with a prepayment meter
  • Refuse to enter into a repayment plan when we’ve been unable to install a prepayment meter
  • Are eligible for the Fuel Direct Scheme but refuse to make use of this.

Before we make any decision we’ll always consider your individual circumstances.

Useful Contacts

If you’re struggling to make payments, you may like some independent advice. The following organisations will be able to help you to manage your finances and offer you advice on the benefits you could be entitled to.

Citizens Advice – Energy

Consumer Service - Telephone: 0808 223 1133

Consumer Service Welsh Speaking - Telephone: 0808 223 1144

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy-supply

Talking Money (formally Bristol Debt Advice Centre)

1 Hide Market West Street St Philips Bristol BS2 0BH

Telephone: 0800 121 4511 or 0117 954 3990

Email: [email protected]

National Debtline

Telephone: 0808 808 4000

www.nationaldebtline.org

Age UK

England

Tavis House
1-6 Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9NA
T: 0800 169 8787

Scotland

Causewayside House
160 Causewayside
Edinburgh
EH9 1PR
T: 0800 470 8090

Wales

Ty John Pathy
13/14 Neptune Court
Vanguard Way
Cardiff, CF24 5PJ
T: 0800 022 3444

www.ageuk.org.uk

The Disabled Living Foundation

Telephone: 0300 999 0004

www.dlf.org.uk

Energy Ombudsman

Ombudsman Services: Energy
PO Box 966
Warrington
WA4 9DF

Telephone: 0330 440 1624

www.ombudsman-services.org

Energy Saving Trust

England

21 Dartmouth Street
London
SW1H 9BP
 
 
T: 0300 123 1234

Scotland

Second Floor
Ocean Point
94 Ocean Drive
Edinburgh
EH6 6JH
T: 0808 808 2282

Wales

Caspian Point
Caspian Way
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF10 4DQ
T: 0300 123 1234

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

 

About Fuel Direct

If you receive Pension Credit, Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance, you may be able to take advantage of the Fuel Direct Scheme. On this scheme the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) takes money each week to the value of the current Fuel Direct rate from your benefits. They then pay us the money you owe for any electricity and/or gas debt you have with us as well as for your current usage. It will usually take two weeks for us to set this up with the DWP.

Find out more about our help for vulnerable customers.