London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 19, 2025

What are the options for managing skyrocketing energy bills this winter?

What are the options for managing skyrocketing energy bills this winter?

Explainer: The looming hardship is fuelling support for Don’t Pay UK campaign, but there are other approaches

Annual energy bills are predicted to surpass £4,200 come January – a startling number that many Britons will struggle to comprehend, let alone pay, given household budgets are already being stretched to the limit by soaring food and fuel prices.

This looming hardship has fuelled support for the Don’t Pay UK campaign, which says more than 100,000 people have pledged to join its mass protest and stop paying their energy bills from October. However, charities have issued warnings about the risks associated with doing this. So what are your options to manage skyrocketing energy bills this winter?

Could I refuse to pay my bills?


There is not necessarily safety in numbers, and joining the Don’t Pay UK boycott is a high-risk strategy. Gas and electricity demands are classed as priority bills, says the debt charity Stepchange, meaning there can be severe consequences for missing or being late on a payment. The supplier can chase arrears using a debt collection agency or seek a court warrant to enter your home and fit a prepayment card meter, which cuts off the electricity if it is not topped up and comes with a higher tariff.

Adam Hosker, a director of the mortgage broker Cyborg Finance, says anyone refusing to pay is “swinging a wrecking ball at their credit score”, with the resulting black mark making it harder to secure a mortgage or loan in the future.

What if my supplier tries to increase my direct debit?


Your supplier should explain how your payment has been worked out. Some suppliers have got into trouble for raising customers’ direct debit payments by too much – so check the maths and don’t be afraid to haggle if you think it’s wrong.

Ofgem, the energy regulator for England, Scotland and Wales, recently conducted a market review to ensure customers were being treated fairly and has threatened to take action against firms with poor customer service.

If you pay via monthly direct debit, your energy firm will have estimated your annual usage and spread the cost over 12 months. This means you’ll probably be in credit during the summer, with that cash helping to pay for the colder winter months when your usage is higher. If you are an existing customer your payments should be based on previous consumption levels and you should be given at least 10 days’ notice of any increase.

Can I reduce my direct debit?


Some companies allow you to manage your direct debit size and, in the face of rising living costs, reducing your monthly payment is one way to improve your cashflow. But doing this is not going to lower your overall energy costs. It just means you’re paying less towards them each month, and you could receive a big catchup bill later in the year.

If you are concerned about your billing, take it up with your supplier, and if you can’t resolve the issue, complain to the energy ombudsman. Energy companies then have eight weeks to resolve a formal complaint.

What if I set up a standing order instead?


This is an idea aired by the food writer poverty campaigner Jack Monroe, with the caveat that consumers should “check the T&Cs [terms and conditions] of your agreement first” as some cheap contracts are only valid if you pay by direct debit.

James Andrews, a senior personal finance expert at the price comparison website Money, says: “Standing orders are predictable. You set an amount and it will stay the same until you choose to update or cancel it. This can be a good way to budget. However, if your bills increase this may result in you going into debt with your energy supplier.

“Direct debits change based on what you owe. However, it may mean you pay out more than you budgeted for, leaving you with less money in your account for all your other expenses.”

Another alternative is to pay for your energy costs upon the receipt of a bill every three months, but doing it this way will cost more than if you paid by direct debit.

What help is there if I fall behind on my bill?


Contact your supplier first – Ofgem rules mean they must offer a payment plan you can afford. Some big energy firms have hardship funds that may give you a grant to help with the debt. Citizens Advice has a list of these and how to apply.

If you have a prepayment meter, you can ask your supplier for “emergency credit”. You might also be eligible for an emergency fuel voucher from the Fuel Bank Foundation. The £49 voucher (£30 in summer months) is accessed via a referral from one of the charity’s 250 partners, which include food banks and Citizens Advice branches.

The government’s energy bills support scheme, which applies to consumers in England, Scotland and Wales, can be accessed from the autumn. All households with a domestic electricity connection will receive a £400 discount on their bill, paid in six monthly instalments, from October.

There is other support too, including the £650 cost of living payments for those on income-related benefits and tax credits. Pensioners who receive the winter fuel payment will also get a one-off £300 payment, and there is an extra £150 for about 6 million people who claim certain disability payments.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Massive Strikes in France Pressure Macron and New PM on Austerity Proposals
Trump Seeks Supreme Court Permission to Remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook
Hillary Clinton’s Reckless Rhetoric Fuels Division After Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
NASDAQ Rises to Record as Intel Soars More Than 20%, Nvidia Gains 3%
Nvidia’s $5 Billion Bet on Intel Reshapes AI Hardware Landscape
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Trump’s Quip on Biden and Google Lawsuit Revives Debate Over Antitrust Legacy
Macron and his wife to provide 'scientific photographic evidence' that she is a real woman
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
×