The Ofgem rules on payment plans
Ofgem's Standards of Conduct require suppliers to work with customers in payment difficulty and offer plans that are genuinely affordable.
A plan must be based on your ability to pay — not on the supplier's preferred recovery timeline. This means suppliers must consider your income, essential costs, and other debts.
If the supplier proposes a plan you cannot afford, you can refuse and push back. The supplier must engage with the affordability question.
What if the supplier refuses to be reasonable?
Complain to the supplier formally. Ofgem requires suppliers to have a complaints process and to acknowledge complaints within a set period.
If the complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks, or if the supplier issues a deadlock letter, you can take the case to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman decision is binding on the supplier.
Citizens Advice and StepChange can help you argue for affordability if the supplier is being difficult.
Hardship funds
Major energy suppliers run hardship funds — sometimes called Warm Home Discount, sometimes named after the supplier. These can clear or reduce debt for eligible customers.
British Gas Energy Trust helps customers of any supplier, not just British Gas.
Eligibility is usually based on income and hardship — you do not need to be a British Gas customer to apply to their Trust.
Priority Services Register
The Priority Services Register is a free scheme run by all suppliers for households in vulnerable situations. Being on the register gets you extra support.
Register if anyone in the household is: over pensionable age, has a chronic illness, has a disability, has children under 5, or has any other vulnerability. Registration is free and quick.