Gas Bill

There are several ways of paying your gas bill.

Gas Bills

If you have requested the service, you are liable for any gas bills in your name. Liability starts from the day the service was connected or from the day you took over an existing supply.

If you move out of your accommodation you may be required to give the supplier at least 48 hours notice in writing. Read your gas meter before you leave the premises.

If you do not inform the supplier in advance that you wish to discontinue the service then you will be charged up to the earliest of either:

If your name is not on the gas bill but you have benefited from the use of gas the supplier may claim that you are liable to pay the bill if you have control over its use, e.g. a young person living at home with parents is not considered to have control over use.

If the person named on the bill leaves the premises then the person left behind may be liable for any arrears and will be expected to take over the supply in their name.

If the consumer dies and another adult was living in the premises the supplier may consider them to be liable and will expect them to pay any outstanding bills. If the consumer was living alone at the time of their death the bill will be charged to the estate. If no estate exists then the bill will be written off.

If you feel the bills are high, you may need to check that the correct tariff for billing has been used and also consider energy saving schemes.

Gas Arrears

If you have gas arrears, you will need to negotiate a repayment arrangement with the gas supplier. You will still have to pay for the gas you are using as well as paying off the arrears.

The gas supplier must take into account your present circumstances and income and how much you are able to pay towards the arrears. (Licence to supply Gas - Condition 19)

The gas supplier will usually base the current use on the previous year's use. This may be inaccurate because, for example, the previous year's use may be based on estimates, or that your circumstances may have changed. You need to check that the amount you are expected to pay for current use of gas is realistic.

It is important that you only agree to repay at a rate, which you can afford because if the agreement is broken the gas supplier can issue a disconnection notice. The supplier will usually agree to fit a pre-payment meter before proceeding with disconnection action.

There may also be benefits, which can be claimed to increase the family income.

For immediate and free debt advice please call Payplan free on 0800 917 7823 or use our Debt Calculator to submit your debt problem online.

Quick enquiry click here