Stop your energy supplier moving you to prepayment

Your gas or electricity supplier might tell you they’re going to move you to prepayment if you owe them money.

If your supplier is trying to move you to prepayment, they must follow rules set by the energy regulator, Ofgem. 

If you’re behind with your gas and electricity bills, your supplier might either:

• install a smart meter in prepayment mode

• remotely switch your smart meter to prepayment mode

If you don’t want a smart meter you can ask your supplier to install a non-smart prepayment meter.

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If your energy supplier is trying to force you onto prepayment

The energy company regulator, Ofgem, has asked all suppliers to pause forced and remotely switched prepayment installations until they have agreed on a new set of guidelines.

Complain to your supplier if they’re trying to force you onto prepayment

When you can refuse to be moved to prepayment

Your supplier can’t make you move to prepayment if it wouldn’t be safe or practical.

If you’re aged 85 or older

Tell your supplier moving to prepayment wouldn’t be safe if you’re aged 85 or older and:

• live alone

• live with someone, but neither of you can safely get to, work or top up your prepayment meter

If you’re disabled or have a health condition

If you’re disabled or have a health condition and you don’t think it would be safe for you to be on prepayment, you should tell your supplier immediately. 

You can refuse to move to prepayment if you or someone in your home has a: 

• health condition or disability which makes it difficult to reach, work or top up a prepayment meter

• health condition or disability which needs a continuous supply of electricity - for example, you use a stair lift or take medication which needs to be kept in a fridge

• health condition which is made worse by a cold home - for example, sickle cell disease

• severe or terminal health condition - for example, cancer or organ failure

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If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

If you have COPD you might have:

• chronic bronchitis

• emphysema

If you have COPD but you’re not sure if you have chronic bronchitis or emphysema, speak to your GP or specialist to check.

It’s important to tell your supplier if you have chronic bronchitis or emphysema. If you have one of these conditions your supplier can’t move you to prepayment.

If you can’t afford to top up

Your supplier can’t move you to prepayment if you can’t afford to top up and you or anyone in your home:

• is aged 75 or older

• is pregnant or has children aged 5 and under

• has a long term health condition, for example, Parkinson’s or osteoporosis

• has a mental health condition

• has had a recent bereavement

If you run out of gas or electricity because you can't top up your meter, this is called 'self-disconnecting'. Tell your supplier that you'd have to self-disconnect if you had a prepayment meter.

It might help if you can show your supplier you’ve worked out your budget. If you’re close to a negative budget it might mean your supplier won't force you to move to prepayment. 

A negative budget means you have more money going out than you have coming in every month. Being close to a negative budget might mean you don’t have enough money left over to pay for higher energy costs in winter.

If your supplier still says you have to move to prepayment, talk to an adviser.

If you need help managing money you owe to your energy supplier or anybody else, check our debt advice.

Work out your budget

Work out a budget so you know how much you have left each month after paying your essential bills and priority debts.

Make sure you save a copy of your budget - you’ll need to refer to this later. You’ll also need to send a copy to your energy supplier.

Try and be as accurate as you can. Before you start, find your most recent:

• bank statements

• payslips

• debit and credit card statements and bills

• receipts for things you pay for in cash

Use the budget calculator on the National Debtline website. You’ll create a financial document that you can keep.

If you can’t get to or top up your meter

Your supplier can’t move you to prepayment if you can’t get to your meter or if it would be too hard for you to top up. Tell your supplier if you can’t:

• reach your current meter - for example, if it's above head height and you’re disabled

• get to your current meter - for example, if it’s in a shared cupboard you don’t have a key for

• easily top up your meter - for example, if you don’t have a car and the nearest shop is over 2 miles away or you don’t have access to the internet to top up online

There might be ways around problems like these, for example, someone else in the home could reach or top up your meter. Your supplier might be able to move your meter or let you top up over the phone.

Check your supplier is following the rules

Your supplier has to follow rules set by Ofgem, the energy regulator. These rules mean your supplier must:

• attempt to contact you 10 times before installing a prepayment meter or switching your smart meter to prepayment mode - they might write, email or call you

• give you 7 working days notice before installing a prepayment meter or remotely switching you to prepayment

• visit your home to check it’s safe and practical before installing a prepayment meter or remotely switching you to prepayment

• offer you other ways to repay money you owe - for example, a repayment plan or payments through your benefits

Your supplier won’t move you onto prepayment if:

• your debt is less than £200 for electricity and less than £200 for gas

• it’s been less than 3 months since the bill was issued

• you disagree with the bill amount and you’ve told them why, for example, the bill is for a previous tenant

Complain to your supplier

If your supplier is trying to move you to prepayment and you don’t think they should, contact them and explain your situation. They should check what support they can offer you. 

Tell them anything which might make things more difficult for you to use a prepayment meter, for example, if you’re recovering from an injury. You should also tell them if you live with anyone who is:

• aged 16 and under

• aged 65 and older

If you run out of gas or electricity because you can't top up your meter, this is called 'self-disconnecting'. Tell your supplier that you'd have to self-disconnect if you had a prepayment meter.

If your supplier still wants to move you to prepayment after you’ve contacted them, you should make a complaint to get them to change their mind. Check how to complain to your energy supplier.

You could pay more if you refuse without a reason

If none of the reasons on this page apply to you, and your supplier follows the rules, they’re allowed to make you move to prepayment.

 If you don't agree to this, they can get a warrant to enter your home and install a prepayment meter. 

They’ll add the cost of the warrant to the money you owe them - this could be up to £150. Your supplier can’t charge you if:

• you find it extremely difficult to talk to your supplier - for example, you have a mental health condition, disability or recently suffered a bereavement

• you’re already in debt and struggling with living costs, for example, you have more money going out than you have coming in

Check if something is an energy scam

Some scammers are pretending to be from energy companies to get your personal information.

If you think something might be a scam: 

• don’t give out any personal information or bank details

• don’t use any contact details from the possible scam

You can check if something is a scam.

Get a break from being contacted by your energy supplier

If you need more time to decide what to do about the money you owe, you can apply for a scheme called Breathing Space. 

If you’re eligible, you could get 60 days of breathing space where companies you owe money to can’t:

• contact you

• take action to make you pay

• add interest and charges to your debt

Your energy supplier won’t be able to install a prepayment meter during the 60 days, unless you’ve already agreed to let them install it.

To see if breathing space is right for you, talk to an adviser.

Get extra help from your energy supplier

If there's a reason moving to prepayment would be hard for you, apply to be put on the Priority Services Register. If you're on the register, your supplier has to give you extra help with your energy supply. 

You can sign up if you're either:

• of State Pension age

• disabled or have a long-term health condition

• considered ‘vulnerable’ by your energy network

You could be classed as vulnerable if you're disabled or have a long-term health condition. Your energy network might also consider you vulnerable if you:

• don't speak or read English well

• have children under 5 years old or are pregnant

• have no sense of smell or would struggle to smell gas

Check if you're eligible to sign up to the Priority Services Register.

If you’re on the Priority Services Register your energy supplier can:

• make your call a priority when you contact them

• give their engineers a password if they visit or contact you - so you know they’re genuine

• move your prepayment meter if you struggle to get to it

Signing up to the Priority Services Register 

You’ll need to fill out the form on your electricity operator’s website - this is who owns and operates the electricity cables in your area. Your electricity operator is different from your electricity supplier, who sends your bills.

You can check who your electricity network operator is on the Power Cut 105 website. You'll need to know the postcode of your property.

Further help

If your supplier is going to install an old-style prepayment meter, find out what to expect. 

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline if you need more help or advice about stopping your supplier from making you move to prepayment.

If you’re in debt, you might be able to get financial help with paying for your energy.

You can also get help with debt.