Managing fuel and water debt

If you’re in arrears with your gas or electricity, it’s important to address the problem straight away. If you don’t pay your gas and electricity (fuel) arrears you risk being cut off. Due to the risk of being cut off, you should deal with gas or electricity debts before credit card or catalogue debts, overdrafts, loans or money borrowed from family and friends.

How to resolve your energy debt

• Contact the Energy Advice Team who can guide you through your options. 
• Contact your energy supplier to let them know you are having difficulty paying. Think about how much you can afford to repay before you contact them to see if you can reach an agreement with the company.
• Are you receiving all the benefits you are entitled to? Call the Income Maximisation Team on 020 7527 8600.
• Large energy companies have trust funds to help with fuel debt. If you fit the eligibility criteria, we can help you to complete an energy trust fund application form.
• The Energy Advice Team can assess you for the Islington Debt Relief Fund which can provide up to £300 towards your energy debt. To be eligible you must provide the following evidence:
  • debt letter, energy bill or statement from the last two months
  • three months of all bank statements showing no more than £1,000 savings once you've paid your fixed monthly expenditure (rent and bills)
  • completed income expenditure form from a debt advice agency such as Stepchange, Debt Free Advice, Christians Against Poverty, National Debt Line, Islington Citizens Advice Bureau, and Islington People's Rights.

The Islington Citizens Advice Bureau can also offer you help and advice.

Visit the Islington Law Centre or find out more at Islington People’s Rights if you are in serious difficulties.

Energy Company Support 

Each energy company has a range of different services to support customers who need it. There are three main types of support:  

• the Priority Services Register  
• the Warm Home Discount Scheme 
• Charitable Trust Funds.  

Priority Services Register  

All large gas and electricity companies, as well the gas and electricity grids, offer a range of free services to their most vulnerable customers including residents of a pensionable age and those with additional health needs. 

Joining the Priority Service Register entitles you to the following free services: 

• A gas appliance and installation safety check (if everyone in the home is eligible)
• Quarterly meter readings
• Help in moving a meter if it is in an inconvenient position
• A personal password system for gas and electricity staff to use every time they call at the person’s home, to confirm they are genuine
• Help if they have difficulty in using certain appliances
• Bills sent to a friend or family member on their behalf
• Bills supplied in different formats, such as large print or Braille, by cassette or in a different language 

Some energy companies offer extra services to residents. Most energy companies require you to be on their priority service register before offering reduced bills for vulnerable customers, otherwise known as a ‘social tariff’. 

Charitable Trust Funds 

Utility trusts 

Some energy companies and other utility companies have special funds to help customers who have got into debt with their service. To see if you would be eligible to apply for an energy trust fund speak to your energy supplier, or contact the Energy Advice Team. 

Resident Support Scheme (RSS) 

At risk or vulnerable residents who do not have sufficient funds to pay for fuel costs can be helped by the Resident Support Scheme. This is typically to help prepayment meter users who do not have enough money to heat or power their home. 

Water Help and Water Sure

Thames Water have two schemes to help customers struggling with the costs of water bills.

• Water Help is a discount on your whole bill of up to 50%, your gross annual household income is less than £21,749 before any deductions or your water bill is more than 5% of your total household income.
• Water Sure is a cap on water bills for metered properties, where the household has an excess need for water due to the size of their family or a medical condition. Water Sure caps the bill at the average annual cost.

SHINE can refer residents directly to Thames to be assessed for these schemes. Register with SHINE for information and to be considered for referral.