The cost of household bills is soaring as Brits continue to struggle to make ends meet.
A growing number of the population is living on a financial knife-edge and the high price of energy bills is pushing them to breaking point in a number of cases.
Fuel poverty is becoming a bigger problem in the UK, not just for single parents and the elderly but for the nation at large. As energy suppliers offer little relief to cool off high prices, it might come as no surprise that energy debt is increasing.
Here are some top tips on what to do if you are in debt to your energy supplier:
1. Contact your supplier
No one likes to have debt on their mind so you can share the burden with your energy supplier. It is important that you make them aware of your situation, as they might be able to help you work out an affordable payment structure or be sympathetic to your circumstance.
It would be advisable to contact them via phone or write to them to find out exactly what they can do to help. You might be able to renegotiate a repayment plan or switch to a prepayment meter.
2. Consider your options
If energy debt is becoming a larger part of your life, you may want to explore your options and see if there is a cheaper tariff you could use or what discounts are available.
For example, some people on benefits could make an arrangement whereby small deductions from their energy debt are taken out of their weekly benefit payments.
Social energy tariffs offer more than a 10% discount to people on low incomes, benefits and the elderly. Ofgem state that the social energy tariff must at least match the cheapest available deal on offer from the provider, including their online deals.
If you don’t qualify for any discounts, you could save money yourself simply by shopping around for the best deal.
The Asda energy compare & save tool could help you save money today.
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