What to do if you can't afford to pay your energy bill

Forecasters are currently predicting that energy bills will skyrocket to £3,582 in October and rise even further to £4,266 from January and once again to £4,427 from April.

Many households are already facing financial struggles due to the cost of living crisis plaguing the country, accompanied by the rising cost of commodities and fuel. Furthermore, inflation is currently experiencing its highest point in 30 years, with the Bank of England warning households and businesses to prepare for a severe recession.

Because of this, many households are likely concerned that they will be unable to afford the skyrocketing costs of their energy bills and may be looking for solutions in the worst-case scenario. Fortunately, there are some steps consumers can take if they believe they won't be able to afford their energy bills.

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According to Citizen's Advice, the first thing consumers should always do is contact their supplier and see if there is a plan that can be implemented to pay what is owed. If consumers avoid negotiating with their suppliers, they risk having their energy supply disconnected.

However, if your supplier doesn't immediately disconnect you, you can still arrange to pay what you owe them which will protect you from being disconnected in the future.

You should inform your supplier that you intent to pay off your debt in instalments as part of a payment plan. This means your supplier will require you to pay fixed amounts of money over a set period of time so you can pay what you can afford plus your current use.

When discussing a payment plan, your supplier must consider the following:

Citizen's Advice has a budgeting tool