Energy prices are climbing, and finances are stretched. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with bills, and increasingly easy to fall into debt with your energy provider. Many people lay awake at night wondering: what happens if I can’t pay my bills? Can my energy be cut off?
In 2024, Citizens Advice reported that one in four people couldn’t afford their essential bills and one in ten households had to borrow money in the previous six months to cover their energy bills.
If you're in this situation, don’t panic – there are steps you can take to get help with energy debt and ease the burden. It’s very rare for energy companies to cut you off. Energy suppliers follow a strict and regulated process before disconnecting someone.
If you are in debt, it’s important to know that energy theft is never a way out. It might seem like a quick fix when someone offers you “free” or discounted energy, but meter tampering is not only illegal – it’s a crime that puts your home, your family, and your neighbours in serious danger.
In this article, we’ll make it clear what to do if you’re worried that energy companies will cut you off and outline the help you can get to assist with energy debt and the steps you can take to pay off energy debt.
What Is Meter Tampering?
Meter tampering is deliberately interfering with a gas or electricity meter, so it doesn’t accurately record the amount of energy used or bypassing it completely, so it doesn’t record energy used at all. This is theft and like all theft, this is illegal.
Tampering with electricity meters can lead to electrocutions and severe burns, and it can also make appliances ‘live’ to the touch. Exposed wires and loose connections can even get so hot that they start electrical fires.
Tampering with gas meters can cause dangerous leaks. As gas fumes build up in a room it displaces the air causing headaches and even loss of consciousness.
Leaking gas is also highly flammable and can be easily ignited. If gas escapes into your home in large amounts, flicking a light switch is all it takes to cause an explosive fireball, risking terrible injuries.
To learn more about how energy theft impacts your community, click here.
Energy theft will not help with energy debt. But knowing how to spot the signs of energy theft, and speaking up, will keep you, your loved ones, and your community safe.
Can Gas or Electric Companies Cut You Off?
If you haven’t paid a household bill within 28 days, your supplier may contact you about the possibility of disconnecting your gas or electricity supply. Energy companies can cut you off, but only as a last resort. They are under an obligation to try and help.
Gas and electricity disconnection rules mean that your gas and/or electric supplier can only cut you off if they have first offered you a range of solutions, including reviewing payments, reducing payments, allowing a longer time to pay, access to a hardship fund or grants, advice on how to reduce energy consumption, and support for vulnerable customers.
These gas and electricity disconnection rules also mean that your supplier must send you a disconnection notice before your energy is cut off, and it can't do that until at least 28 days after it sends your bill. It must also give you at least seven days' written notice first. Once you let your supplier know you need help with energy debt, they are also required to provide you with a free of charge method of contacting them.
If you need help with energy debt, your supplier may suggest that you switch from direct debit or paying when the bill arrives to prepayment. Prepayment meters can also be set to collect debt from the money that you put on them. Your smart meter can be set to pay-as-you-go, or if you don’t have a smart meter, your supplier can fit one so you can pay as you go and top up through an app, online, by phone, or by text. If for some reason you are unable to have a smart meter, your supplier may offer to fit an older type of prepayment meter, which you can top up at a shop with a top-up key or card.
Suppliers should not force you onto a pay as your go or prepayment meter if they have not offered you another way to pay your debt. However, if no other debt payment options are suitable to you, or you have not kept to an agreed payment plan, you may not have a choice.
A supplier can change your meter to pre-payment without your permission but they do have to follow rules set out by Ofgem. If they have to obtain a warrant to do this they may charge you up to £150 but your supplier shouldn’t charge you for this if a health condition or vulnerability prevented you from dealing with your energy debt.
If you are worried that your gas and/or electric supplier will cut you off, you can learn more about prepayment meters here.
Winter Cut-Off Protections for Vulnerable Groups
During the colder months (1 October to 31 March), there are extra protections for certain vulnerable groups. For example, your energy cannot be cut off during this time if:
- You’re over State Pension age and live alone, or only with others who are also of pension age or under 18.
- Someone in your household has reached State Pension age, is chronically ill, disabled, or facing severe health challenges.
To check if you are State Pension age, visit the GOV.UK page here.
If your energy company is threatening to cut you off and you fall into these categories, make sure to inform your supplier immediately.
You can also contact your local council or Citizens Advice, as they might be able to help you avoid disconnection or to restore your energy supply through a local welfare assistance scheme.
Remember: energy theft is never the solution to energy being cut off. Keeping the lights and heating on starts with getting in touch with your supplier, not tampering with your meter.
What to Do If You're at Risk of Disconnection
If you have fallen behind with payments and are worried your energy will be cut off, don’t wait until things get worse. There are steps you can take to stop things from reaching crisis point. Again, remember that it’s highly unusual for energy companies to disconnect people. This is typically a last resort.
As long as you explain your situation to your supplier, they can take action to help you manage your debt. The quicker you engage with your supplier, the easier they can make the process by providing support and guidance.
First, treat your gas or electricity debt as a priority – it needs to come before other debts like credit cards.
Gas and electricity disconnection rules mean that suppliers must explore all reasonable options to help you pay your debt. Contact your energy supplier right away to discuss the situation and find out what they can do to help you. This might involve paying in instalments, using Fuel Direct (where payments come out of your benefits), or switching to a prepayment meter.
Fuel Direct
The Fuel Direct scheme takes a set amount directly from your benefits to cover both what you owe and ongoing energy costs, if you receive one of the following benefits:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount Scheme offers £150 off winter electricity bills for some low-income households. If you’re worried about your gas and/or electric being cut off in the colder months, this can help ease the burden. Eligibility for winter 2025–26 is still being confirmed – keep an eye on the GOV.UK website for updates.
Winter Fuel Payment
If you’re a pensioner, the Winter Fuel Payment could give you a lump sum up to £300 to help with heating costs in the colder months. It’s usually paid automatically in November or December if you’ve reached State Pension age by the fourth Monday in September and receive Pension Credit, income-related ESA, income-based JSA, Income Support or Universal Credit.
Cold Weather Payment
If the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days, you may get a Cold Weather Payment if you are getting any of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
If you are eligible, you get a payment of £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.
Agree a Payment Plan
To avoid your gas and/or electric being cut off, a payment plan will space your energy payments out over time, so you don't have to pay large lump sums all at once. They can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and will include a portion of your current use and a portion of your debt.
Your supplier must take into account:
- How much you can afford to pay - give them details about your income and outgoings, debts and personal circumstances
- How much energy you’ll use in future - they’ll estimate this based on your past usage, but give them regular meter readings to make this more accurate
If you are already on a repayment plan, but can't manage the payments, you may be able to renegotiate with your supplier so that it is more affordable. If you need help negotiating, contact Citizens Advice.
It’s important that you do reach an agreement before your energy is cut off because without it, they could take action. It will be much cheaper to repay your existing debt than to pay for reconnection, and if a direct debit is cancelled, you could end up owing even more money if you’re moved to a more expensive tariff.
If your energy has already been cut off, contact your supplier to arrange reconnection. You will need to arrange to pay your debt, the reconnection fee and administrative costs. The amount you’ll be charged depends on your supplier, but if you think the charges are too high, you can contact Citizens Advice for guidance.
What Happens If You Have Children or a Disability?
Can my gas and electric be cut off if I have a child?
According to Citizens Advice, households with children under four are twice as likely to be in debt and have their gas and/or electric cut off than those without children.
If you have children and need help with energy debt, contact your local social services department. Let your supplier know you've done this, and most suppliers will delay disconnection while social services look into your case. This could give you time to make an arrangement to pay. Under the Children Act 1989, social services can also sometimes make payments to families with children in need.
It’s best to check if your supplier has signed up to the Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment, which gives extra support to vulnerable customers and protects them from having their energy cut off.
If your supplier has signed up, tell them you need extra help with energy debt, and they will not knowingly cut off your gas and electric if you have a child under the age of 6 in your household (or under the age of 16 during 1 October to 31 March ), if you are vulnerable, or cannot safeguard your personal welfare or the personal welfare of other members of the household due to age, health, disability or severe financial insecurity.
Contact your supplier to ask to be added to their Priority Services Register as well – it’s designed to make sure people who need help get it. Energy suppliers each have a Priority Services Register to identify customers who are vulnerable and may need extra help.
Support for Paying Off Energy Debt
Disconnection is very uncommon in the UK. Energy companies will do everything they can to help you manage your debt and feel safe again. Remember: the sooner you engage with your supplier, the sooner you can receive help and support.
There are also other sources of help available.
If you are struggling and worried your energy will be cut off, you may be able to receive a small grant in the form of the Household Support Fund if you live in England. Contact your local council to check if you are eligible.
If you need time to get debt advice and find a debt solution, Breathing Space will stop most types of enforcement and stop most creditors applying interest and charges for 60 days. Find out more here. Turn2us can also try to find charities that may be able to help you with energy bills.
Some energy companies also offer support or hardship funds that may be able to help with energy debt and energy bills if you are in financial difficulties. It’s best to contact your supplier to find out what’s available.
You can also visit Citizens Advice to find out if you are able to get a grant or a loan to help with insulation, draught proofing, central heating and other energy-saving home improvements.
There are also helpful tips on how to save money on your energy bills in 2025 here. You can find more information on help with energy bills here.
Support is available if you are worried about your energy being cut off. Never try to take matters into your own hands. Remember: energy theft is never the solution to help with energy debt. It’s not worth the risk.
If you suspect it, report it 100% anonymously to Stay Energy Safe. Fill out our online form or call a member of our team on 0800 023 2777. We won’t ask who you are, don’t see your phone number and your IP address is scrambled. Nobody but you will ever know you spoke up to keep people safe.