Worried About Your Energy Bills?

Article Written By: awebuser

For some the cost of simply firing up their gas boiler and keeping it on is just too great. Are you worried about how you are going to keep the heating on in your home this winter? This guide will help you deal with the situation and hopefully avoid disconnection.

Fuel poverty has become a major issue in the UK. A fuel poor home can be defined as any household which has to spend more than 10% of its total income on fuel to keep their home in a satisfactory condition. 4.5 million homes were considered fuel poor and many of these homes were made up of pensioners, single people under 60 and couples with no children. Fuel poverty also extends to water heating, lighting and appliance usage for cooking.

If you find yourself in arrears the best thing to do is deal with the problem as soon as possible. Generally speaking you will be in arrears if you fail to pay your bill within 28 days. Your energy supplier does have to take certain steps before they can disconnect your supply.

The Disconnection Process

Day 1 - Bill received

Day 14 - Reminder letter

Day 28 - 2nd Reminder issued and outbound call

Day 35 - Final demand and pre-disconnection letter

Day 42 - 49 - Outbound calls

Day 60 - Debt advisory home visit

Day 67 - Warrant proceedings start

Day 129 - Warrant Executed

This process could be sped up if you have a poor payment history. However you can stop the proceeding at any time throughout this process by calling your supplier to arrange a repayment plan.

Your energy supplier must take into consideration your financial situation and ability to pay. They should also offer a pre-pay meter as an alternative and as a last resort to disconnection. If you find the terms of repayment plan unaffordable considering your financial situation you should notify your supplier that they must act in accordance with their License Condition. This stipulates they need to consider your ability to pay when setting up repayments no matter how long it takes you to repay the debt.

How to Repay Your Energy Debt

You can set up a short term arrangement if your situation is temporary. This would basically involve you paying the outstanding balance before your next bill.

An instalments plan is also another option which generally involves weekly, fortnightly or monthly re-payments. However if you have previously broken a payment plan your energy supplier can refuse this option.

A pre-payment meter can also be installed to help you re-pay your arrears. However if you have mobility problems this may not be a satisfactory solution.

If you receive benefits you can enter in to the Fuel Direct scheme. A deduction is taken from your benefits over a set period. The current level fuel direct payment level is £3.25 per week.

About the Author

British Gas Boilers

You Can Link Directly to "Worried About Your Energy Bills?" by using the url:
http://www.allbestarticles.com//family/save-money/worried-about-your-energy-bills.html

This Article Has Been Published on Tue, 2 Nov 2010 and Read 120 Times

Find All Best Articles at http://www.allbestarticles.com

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.

Related information on Save Money

Feels Good to Pay Less Electricity and Energy Bills Than Others?
How to Drastically Reduce Your Electric Bill
Convert Your Extra Space With a Garage Floor Cover
Tips to Save Money on Accommodation Cost
Worried About Your Energy Bills?
Saving Money for Future
Products To Avoid If You Want To Save Money
Could you be making serious savings?
Sustainability Begins With a Draft Stopper
Draft Stoppers Help You With Your Carbon Footprint
Personal Finance How To Save Money and avoid debt
Save money no matter where you are
Electric Bills Too High? These Tips Will Help