The short version
General information, not advice
- Pay the priority bills first: rent or mortgage, council tax, energy, water, TV licence, court fines, child maintenance.
- Tell your energy supplier early. It has to offer help, such as a payment plan you can afford, a payment break or access to a hardship fund.
- Free debt advice is available from StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice. You never need to pay for it.
- A debt adviser can start a Breathing Space: 60 days when most creditors must stop chasing you and stop adding most interest and charges.
Priority order as used by the free debt advice charities.
Start with the bills that can cost you most
Debt advisers split bills into two kinds. Priority bills are the ones where falling behind can lead to losing your home, having a supply cut off, or court action you can’t easily undo: rent or mortgage, council tax, gas and electricity, water, the TV licence, court fines and child maintenance. Everything else, including credit cards, loans, overdrafts and buy now, pay later, is serious but can’t take those things away. The lenders chasing the second list often chase hardest, which is exactly why it’s worth knowing the order before you answer the phone.
Energy: what your supplier has to do
Ofgem expects suppliers to help customers who are struggling, and that means agreeing a payment plan, a payment break or a reduction, reviewing what you pay towards the debt, and pointing you to hardship funds and grants. A plan should be one you can actually afford, so have a rough idea of your income and spending before you call. If your supplier wants to move you to a prepayment meter without your agreement, it must follow strict rules first, including repeated attempts to contact you and a welfare visit. Some households must never have one fitted that way, including those where everyone is 75 or over with no support at home, where there’s a child under 2, or where someone relies on powered medical equipment. If you’re on the Priority Services Register, your supplier should already know.
Get free advice before you agree anything
StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice are free and independent. They’ll help you work out a budget, deal with the people you owe, and set up a plan if you need one. Firms that advertise debt “write-offs” or charge for the same help aren’t worth your money. If a company offers to manage your debts, check it’s on the FCA register first.
| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Free debt advice | StepChange 0800 138 1111 · National Debtline 0808 808 4000 |
| Help with benefits, bills and debt (England) | Citizens Advice Adviceline 0800 144 8848 |
| Your energy supplier | See Contact your energy supplier |
| If it’s all too much | Samaritans 116 123, free, any time |
Breathing Space
A debt adviser can register you for Breathing Space, a government scheme that pauses most creditor action for 60 days. During it, most creditors must stop enforcement, stop contacting you to ask for payment, and stop adding most interest and charges. An energy supplier can’t take steps to disconnect you over arrears that are included. You can have a standard Breathing Space once in any 12 months. If you’re receiving mental health crisis treatment, a separate version lasts for the treatment plus 30 days. Some debts aren’t covered, such as court fines and child maintenance, so keep paying those.
Check you’re getting everything you’re owed
A benefits check takes about 15 minutes online and often finds money people didn’t know they could claim. Also ask about a broadband social tariff and your water company’s help schemes. Both can cut a monthly bill without any new borrowing.
Sources, checked 27 September 2026: Ofgem: help if you can’t afford your energy bills · Ofgem: installing a prepayment meter without your permission · GOV.UK: Breathing Space guidance. Switch4Good Limited is a commercial business and not a charity. General information, not advice.
Common questions
Should I pay a little to everyone?
No. Cover the priority bills first, then share what's left between the others, with an adviser's help if you can.
Will asking for help hurt my credit file?
A payment plan can show on your file. Missed payments and defaults usually do more damage than an agreed plan.
Is debt advice really free?
Yes, from the charities above. You never need to pay for it.
Other ways to lower a bill
If you get Universal Credit or a similar benefit, a social tariff can cut your broadband bill without changing your line.