How Long Can Gas Company Leave You Without Heating & Hot Water
For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.
For free & impartial money advice you can visit MoneyHelper. We work with The Debt Advice Service who provide information about your options. This isn’t a full fact-find, some debt solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, ongoing fees might apply & your credit rating may be affected.
Are you wondering if the gas company can leave you without hot water and heating because you can’t pay your bill? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. Each month, our website is visited by over 12,000 people looking for advice on debt topics.
In this article, we’ll look at:
- What happens if you don’t pay your gas bill.
- If you must pay.
- Can a gas company shut off gas.
- How vulnerable people are protected.
- Ways to lower your repayments.
Many people are nervous about not paying a debt. They worry about the effects of unpaid debt, such as dealing with bailiffs or debt collectors. I understand these worries, and I’m here to help.
Let’s explore ways to manage your debt and keep your home warm!
What happens if you don’t pay your gas bill?
If you don’t pay your gas bill, you will be contacted by your gas supplier in writing to request that you make an immediate full payment, which may not include late payment charges.
This letter will arrive 28 days or more after you’ve missed your payment and may include threats to disconnect your supply.
If you know you’ll miss a payment, it’s usually better to communicate this with the energy supplier, which may then provide you with options to get back on track over time.
Can a gas company shut off gas?
Can your gas company legally cut you off for non-payment, and how long can they leave you without gas for heating and hot water? This is a common question, especially among forum users.
Source: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/62587835#Comment_62587835
An energy company can turn off your electricity or gas supply if you fail to pay your bill, but this is becoming extremely rare. There are some exceptions when a gas supply can never be turned off if you’re a vulnerable person.
Energy suppliers are sometimes obligated to try and help you repay your arrears through a repayment plan before they can consider disconnecting your gas supply.
Moreover, the gas supplier is more likely to apply to the court to enter your home and install a pre-payment metre than switch off your supply altogether.
This will mean you’ll have to pay for your energy in advance. This can be somewhat beneficial in helping you stop further arrears and energy debts.
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Vulnerable people can never be disconnected
There are laws and energy supplier commitments in place to stop some people from having their gas supply turned off even if they owe money.
Your gas supply can never be switched off between October and March if you’ve reached state pension age and live alone, live with another pensioner or live with someone under the age of 18.
On top of this, the energy supplier must offer a repayment plan before switching off your gas if you’re a state pensioner living with someone not from the categories above, disabled or have a long-term mental (including depression) or physical disability.
The above are the rules that all energy suppliers must abide by, but some companies have made further commitments by pledging to the Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment.
The Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment
If your energy supplier has signed up to the Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment, they have also promised not to disconnect your gas supply between October and March if you live with children under 16.
They also won’t disconnect you at any point in the year f you’re:
- Disabled
- Live with children under 6
- Have severe financial difficulty
- Have long-term health issues
Although it’s extremely rare, they can take action to have your gas disconnected instead. But it isn’t an easy process.
Gas disconnection process
For the gas supplier to disconnect your supply, they’ll probably need to get a court warrant to enter your home and complete the disconnection.
They’re not obligated to get this warrant if the supply line is outside of your home, but many companies still take the time to get the warrant anyway.
A hearing will take place where a judge may allow the company to complete the disconnection. The gas supplier must give you seven days’ notice to make the disconnection.
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How long can a gas company leave you without gas?
The gas company can disconnect your supply and leave you without gas until:
- You repay the arrears in full
- You repay some of the debt and agree on a repayment plan
As soon as either of the above happens, the gas company must reconnect you within 24 hours.
What if you’re not reconnected within 24 hours?
You can request compensation If the gas supplier has accepted your payment plan or you have paid off the arrears but they haven’t reconnected you within one business day.
You are entitled to £30 compensation which must be paid out within 10 working days. Energy companies often add this as a credit to your account, but you can reject this for cash in your bank if desired.
If they miss the 10-day deadline to pay your compensation, you are entitled to a further £30 delay payment.
How long can a gas company leave you without hot water?
Unless the lack of hot water is related to an unpaid energy debt, your gas company should treat the issue as a matter of urgency and get you reconnected within 24 hours.
Related FAQs
How long does an energy company have to issue a final bill?
Ofgem states that energy companies have six weeks to send you your final bill after leaving a property or switching energy suppliers.
Can you have your gas supply disconnected?
Some people cannot have their gas supply disconnected in any circumstance if the gas supplier is committed to the Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment.
People deemed non-vulnerable can have their gas supply disconnected for non-payment, but this is becoming extremely rare.
How long can British Gas leave you without heating and hot water?
British Gas should make every effort to ensure you have access to heating and hot water within 24 hours unless the supply has been purposefully disconnected.
Although, it’s now extremely rare to have your energy disconnected even when you have arrears.
How can I get out of energy debts?
There may be easier and more beneficial ways to deal with energy arrears and other debts. Debt Management Plans, Debt Relief Orders and IVAs are all possible options, which I cover in my How to Get Out of Debt guide.
You might even manage to write off some or all of your energy debts.
