Emergency electric soon to run out and no money till Friday!

[tamsin92]

Don't suppose anyone can give me any advice. My emergency electric is on £3 and I have no money till I get paid Friday and no family/friends I can ask to lend me any money. I have spoke to British gas and even though I have a 2 year old they said they cannot help me! I only have electric in my property so I'm really struggling with it being so cold I can't afford to turn my storage heaters on. I'm getting really panicked that my electric is going to go before Friday

Why can't you ask any body?

i don't know how it works - but if you are on benefits is there anyway you can be loaned some extra money ?

Emergency overdraft from the bank?
Anything you can sell/pawn?
Any loyalty card points you can use?
Any vouchers/gift cards?

oh yes - sell something on fb.

I see loads of people doing that - you could have cash this evening.

Don't get any loans.

Ask around friends (imagine it was a friend telling you they were broke, you won't be judged by good pals)
If no one can spare a fiver then get you coats on and start visiting.

Free places, friends or family library etc.
My DB used to go sit in the job centre all day, it was toasty.

If you are skint then a loan will cripple you.

I'm on a prepayment meter and got a £12 voucher in the post this morning so maybe they're sending them out this week? Hopefully! I think people on certain benefits can apply online for the warm home discount- £140 electricity to help in cold weather. Obviously wouldn't be through in time but worth considering in future. Can you ask your electric company to increase your emergency credit?

I think food banks might do top ups - not 100% sure. Might be worth contacting your health visitor for some advice, and maybe a referral?

Im sure meters cant go off after 7 at night. Even if you have used your emergency.

Ask social services? It's an issue if you have a child under 2.

Certain meters can't go off after 7 - but they won't reactivate if they are already off and it's not all meters, just newish British gas ones if I remember right.

OP, there's no obvious other ways, if you've got no way of making money. Do you have somewhere you can stay and be warm until Friday if it does get turned off?

Other than selling something on Facebook selling page tonight or asking a friend for a tenner then I'm not sure what answer there is.

Heating doesn't need to be on at night and during the day I would get out of the house to the library, surestart groups until you have some money on friday

We do advise all our members to be aware that not everyone on t'internet is who they say they are, and that, although we're awed daily by the astonishing support our members give each other through life's trickier twists and turns, we'd always caution anyone never to give more of themselves to another poster, emotionally or financially, than they can afford to spare.

I already borrowed £5 off a friend thinking that would pay into my £10 emergency but it didn't. There's no one else I can ask I don't have much family. I don't have anything to sell either. Can't take out any loads either as I'm currently in a bad credit situation and paying off previous loans. I'm hoping it will last but still having gotten use to the whole meter thing yet so don't know how far £3 can go. And yes I've already had my £12 rebate through a couple weeks ago, thanks though