Home Community support Cost of living Help with your energy bills
Grants from the Household Support Fund are to help towards energy costs, water bills and food as well as other essential costs such as Council Tax. You may be eligible for extra financial support based on your circumstances.
We'll be releasing the money in phases, so we can offer targeted support to those most in need during the winter period.
The government is providing a non-repayable £400 discount on energy bills for everyone this winter.
You will get a total of £400 off your energy bill, whoever your energy provider is. This will be done in 6 instalments from October. You'll get a discount of £66 applied to your energy bill in October and November, then £67 each month from December through to March 2023. The discount will be provided on a monthly basis, whether you pay monthly, quarterly, or have an associated payment card.
Traditional pre-payment meter customers will be given energy bill discount vouchers from the first week of each month. These will be sent via text message, email, or post, using your registered contact details. You will need to redeem these discounts yourself - take the voucher to your usual top-up point, for example your nearest PayPoint or Post Office branch.
You will not be asked for your bank details at any point. Look out for scams which ask you for your bank details to claim your discount. You can report scams to Action Fraud.
The Community Support Scheme helps people who are in crisis and need immediate support. We can offer help in specific circumstances, for a range of different items or needs, including gas and electric.
Find out more and apply for help through the community support scheme.
You may be able to get a government grant depending on your circumstances or any benefits you're getting. The government website has more information about:
If you're struggling to pay your water bill, your supplier can offer you advice and free water-saving devices to help reduce your bills. You can find out more on your water supplier's website.
You should speak to your water supplier as soon as possible if you can't pay your bill, or if you already owe them money. Visit the Citizens Advice website to find out what to say to your water supplier. They also have information about schemes set up by water companies to help you pay your bill.
StepChange has advice on how to deal with being in arrears (debt) on your water bill.
Gas and electricity are priority bills. You should try to pay these bills first, because they can cause particularly serious problems if you don't do anything about them. You can find out more about priority debts on Citizens Advice.
If you don't pay your gas or electricity bill, you're at risk of having your supply cut off. This is why you should talk to your energy provider as soon as possible if you're unable to pay, or you're already in arrears (debt). They might be able to put you on a cheaper tariff to reduce your future bills, or tell you about any support they offer to help with your bills.
You can find out more about gas and electricity arrears on the National Debtline website.
If you're in arrears on your bills, you might be able to get a 'breathing space' protection. This means you will not be contacted about paying off your debts for up to 60 days. It gives you time to improve your financial situation, so you're ready to start paying off your debts once the protection ends. Ask your debt advice provider for more information about breathing spaces.
Citizens Advice has advice on what to do if you're in arrears and your supplier is threatening to cut off your energy supply.
We know that it's scary when you don't know if you'll be able to buy food or pay your next bill. If you're feeling anxious, depressed, or like you've run out of options, please reach out for help.
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys crisis service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They will listen without judging you, support you, and help you with what to do next. You can call them on 0800 0516 171, for free. Please don't suffer alone.