To ask what happens when you just stop paying your energy bills?

[Muezza]

In october when the energy prices rise again, we're going to be in the position where we just cannot afford to pay for everything we need to pay for.

This isn't a thread asking for budgeting advice - more of a what if question. If it comes to it I'm going to look for a second job and work evenings on top of all day, but I'm not sure my health can handle it, I already have so much back pain after work I can't walk sometimes!

How long does it take for companies to get to the point of cutting you off? Could we feasibly cancel the direct debit and somehow pay part of the bill? We'd obviously be in debt to the energy company, but would would paying something stop them cutting us off completely?

Is anyone else in the same situation!?

Worth checking via Citizens Advice or a debt charity, I suggest.

I was aware when living in a flat of another one of the flats where pre-payment meters were in place because of issues with a previous tenant.

I don't expect to be in your situation, fortunate enough to have been able to save money during the pandemic restrictions.

I'm not sure they can cut you off. But I believe they can force access to change your meter to a pre-payment one. Potentially with the unit price raised further so you're paying back any debt previously accrued.

I have no idea how long it takes though. Sorry.

First of all they’ll switch you to a prepayment meter with a reasonable amount per top up immediately taken to cover the debt. If you don’t keep topping the meter up you’ll eventually end up with no electric/gas depending on which one you’re not paying

What a disgusting situation whereby we even have to think of things like this.

They won’t put you on a pre payment meter until last resort. They will let you run up debt while sending you increasingly demanding letters, eventually you’ll need to speak to ‘credit control’ who will agree a repayment plan. Only if you keep running up debt and not paying anything off the old debt will they make you have pre payment meter. It’s really last resort. You can give yourself a couple of months breather but remember you will be building debt up in that time.

@Muezza The most important thing is to pay as much as you can. If you are paying £100 per month and it goes up to £165, keep paying the £100, if you can pay £125 pay that. The next most important thing is to talk to your energy supplier.

If you don’t pay anything your debt rises at £165 a month e.g. £1,650 in 10 months. The £100 will get absorbed. Where as if you pay £100 per month the debt rises at £65 e.g. £650 after 10 months. If you can pay £125 per month it is £400 after 10 months.

The biggest mistake people make with bills/mortgage/debt repayments is to think it is all or nothing. Paying as much as you can, at least what you were paying, means any debt accumulates at a much slower rate.

Talk to your energy supplier is also key, they need to understand your circumstances and may have a lower hardship rate.

Also look at ways to save energy, turning plugs off and unplugging them, boiling a kettle with the minimum amount of water, do you need to heat the water every day if you have an immersion tank, put extra layers on, only have lights on in the room(s) you are using etc.

Use Money Saving Expert to find ways of saving, look at the £10 a day thread on here.

HTH