Ofgem is urging people that are behind on their bills to take action and get help
Millions of families are facing mounting energy bills they’re struggling to get ahead of, but some may not realise the help available to them through suppliers, free debt advisers, charities and the government. According to Ofgem figures, household energy debt sat at £4.43billion in Q2 2025.
With over 1.1 million electricity customers and 926,000 gas customers now in debt without any repayment plans in place to get ahead of their bill. The energy regulator for Great Britain took to X, highlighting three places Brits who have “fallen behind on paying your energy bills” could get help.
Debt advice
Ofgem specifically directed people to Money Helper’s online tool which allows people to find free debt advisers near them. The service notes it’s meant for people who have missed more than one debt payment.
Debt advisers can:
- Advise on better ways of managing your money
- Check if there’s benefits or entitlements you can claim
- Share ways of dealing with debt that you can use
Debt advisers also keep everything you tell them confidential. A number of charities provide free debt advisory services such as the National Debtline, StepChange and Citizens Advice.
Extra support
Energy arrears are a priority debt, meaning you should try to pay it off before other debts like credit cards or you could risk having your energy supply disconnected. However, if you are struggling with your bill your energy supplier can provide some support to make your payments more manageable.
Citizens Advice notes: “Your supplier has to help you come to a solution. You should try to negotiate a deal that works for both of you. If you don’t try to negotiate with your supplier, they might threaten to disconnect you. If your supplier doesn’t disconnect you, you should still arrange to pay what you owe them.”
You may be able to arrange a payment plan with your supplier that allows you to pay off your debts in instalments over a set period of time instead of paying the entire balance in one go. If you’re struggling to afford these repayments, your supplier may be able to pause it for a short period of time.
The experts warned that scammers may pretend to be your energy company to get to your personal information. It’s advised not to give out personal information and try to use only official contact details for your energy company.
Grants and benefits
People who are struggling with their energy bills may be able to get support from the government depending on the type of energy they use, how they pay for it and what benefits they claim.
This can include:
- Fuel vouchers
- Winter Fuel Payments
- Warm Home Discount
- Cold Weather Payments
- Household Support Fund
Some energy suppliers also provide grants to help pay off the debts of their customers. Each grant has different requirements and some may need evidence that you’ve spoken to a debt adviser already or have completed a budget sheet with a FCA approved adviser.
A list of available funds can be found on the Citizens Advice website. It advises: “If you can’t get a grant from your supplier, you might be able to get a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust. These grants are available to anyone – you don’t have to be a British Gas customer.”
