Nov
Gas arrears and Disconnection
Gas arrears and disconnection
If you have gas arrears, you risk being disconnected. However, it is very unusual to be disconnected if you fail to pay your gas bills.
If you have gas arrears, seek help from an experienced adviser, urgently if you have been threatened with disconnection, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.
Steps your supplier must follow before disconnecting you
A gas supplier must follow standard licence conditions, one of which sets out how it deals with customers who have difficulty paying. A gas supplier cannot issue a disconnection notice until at least 28 days after issuing a bill. You must be given at least seven days notice of disconnection. If you can’t pay your bill, contact your supplier straight away. You should be offered an arrangement to pay off the arrears at a rate you can afford. If you can’t afford to pay off the arrears in this way, they must offer to install a prepayment meter.
Some groups of customers may have extra protection from being disconnected. This may apply to you if you:
- are of pensionable age
- have long-term ill-health
- are disabled
- have severe financial problems.
Disconnection – complaining to Consumer Direct
If you have been disconnected, or are threatened with disconnection, and have not been able to sort things out with your gas supplier, you should contact Consumer Direct on: 0845 404 0506.
Disconnection includes where something has gone wrong with your prepayment meter so that you’re unable to make a payment or have made a payment but your gas supply still isn’t working.
Where appropriate, Consumer Direct will refer your case to the consumer watchdog Consumer Focus, who will take up your complaint with the gas supplier.
A complaint about disconnection is considered a priority case and should be sorted out on the next working day after it has been referred to Consumer Focus. If you are on a prepayment meter, your gas supply should be restored within four hours.
If you’re still not happy with the way your complaint has been resolved, you can make a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
Other help you can get
The Home Heat Helpline offers advice on energy efficiency and fuel debts to low income consumers. The Helpline’s advisers can help identify where free energy efficiency measures might be available and can also ensure that vulnerable customers are not at risk of fuel supply disconnection. You can contact the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.
Some energy suppliers have set up independent charitable trusts which give grants to some of their customers to help them pay for gas arrears. You can also get grants to pay for electricity arrears and other household bills.
For more information, visit the www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk.
