Your legal rights: Gas, Electric and Water Bill Debts

If you are having difficulties paying your bills, you should keep in mind the fact that gas, phone, and electricity companies are legally entitled to cut you off in the event that your bills have not been paid. They do not even have to go to court in order to do this. You should, however, be given written notice before you are disconnected from any of these services.

Gas and electricity companies are required by law to take notice of those customers who are in need. You should be allowed to repay money that you owe over at least a year, if that is all you are able to afford. This is the alternative you are entitled to, rather than disconnection or the fitting of a pre payment meter, which effectively makes fuel or electricity a lot more expensive.

In the event that you are able to come up with an amount you can afford to pay, but the company refuses to accept your offer, you should do the following:

Get advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau
Get in touch with a gas and electricity consumer body

Responsibility for the bill
The individual who owes any electricity or gas debt should be the same individual who first requested it to be supplied. In the past, some companies have also demanded payment from anyone who was living in the house at the time that the electricity or gas was being used, referring to such individuals as “beneficial users.” But a lot of courts now refuse to allow companies to pursue such a line of debt. If you find yourself in this situation, you might be able to stop them from insisting on payment. In the event that a company is forcing you to pay a bill you feel you are not responsible for, you should get in touch with a citizen’s bureau, such as Energywatch, for advice.

Water Bills

Water companies are not allowed to disconnect you for missed payments. They may take you to court, however.

An advisor will phone you for a free consultation.

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