Can Your Electricity Be Disconnected? UK Rules and Help

Can an energy supplier disconnect your electricity?

Yes, but an unpaid bill does not mean the supply can be cut off without warning. Citizens Advice says a Great Britain supplier may contact you about possible disconnection when a bill has remained unpaid for 28 days. It must give you an opportunity to repay the debt through a payment plan, and disconnection should be a last resort.

Ofgem data shows how unusual the outcome is. No domestic electricity or gas disconnections for non-payment were recorded in Great Britain in the second quarter of 2026, continuing a run of zero recorded cases since the first quarter of 2023. That does not remove the legal power, so treat every formal notice seriously and respond before the case advances.

What to do when you receive a disconnection warning

Call the supplier using the number on its official website or a recent bill, then follow up in writing. Say that you are responding to a disconnection warning, ask for collection action to be paused and propose a payment you can maintain. A realistic plan is safer than an amount that will fail after one month.

Give the supplier a simple income-and-essential-spending summary if requested. Ask it to review current payments, debt repayments, hardship funds and any payment break or reduction it can offer. Ofgem says customers in difficulty can ask for these forms of help. Keep the adviser name, time, reference and promised next step.

If you believe the bill is wrong, identify the disputed amount and send meter photographs, readings, bills and payment evidence. Continue paying undisputed current usage where you can. A billing complaint and an affordability request can run together; disputing the calculation is not a reason to ignore a disconnection notice.

• State what you can afford after rent or mortgage, food, council tax and other essential costs.
• Explain any disability, illness, pregnancy, young children or reliance on powered medical equipment.
• Ask about the Priority Services Register and record any support needs on the account.
• Request the decision and repayment terms in writing.
• Contact Citizens Advice or another free debt adviser if the supplier will not agree a safe plan.

Who has extra protection in Great Britain?

Between 1 October and 31 March, a supplier must not knowingly disconnect a person who has reached State Pension age and lives alone, or lives only with other people of pensionable age or children under 18. During the same winter period, suppliers must take all reasonable steps to avoid disconnecting a home occupied by someone of pensionable age, someone who is disabled or someone who is chronically sick.

Many suppliers also follow the voluntary Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment. Ofgem says participating suppliers commit not to knowingly disconnect a vulnerable customer at any time where the household has a child under six, or where age, health, disability or severe financial insecurity means the person cannot protect their own welfare or that of the household. The winter commitment also covers households with children under 16. Tell the supplier about the household circumstances and ask whether it is a signatory.

The warrant, smart meter and notice process

If no agreement is reached, a supplier can apply to court for a warrant to enter the home. It must tell you about the application. Attend the hearing or get advice rather than leaving the supplier's evidence unanswered; it may still be possible to agree repayments before a warrant is granted. Citizens Advice says a supplier with a warrant must give seven days' written notice before disconnecting.

A smart meter can technically be disconnected remotely, but that does not remove the customer protections. Before remotely disconnecting, the supplier must have discussed repayment options and visited the home to assess the occupants' circumstances and the effect of losing supply. Complain immediately if those steps were missed.

Worked example: proposing an affordable repayment plan

Suppose the confirmed electricity debt is £480. After essential spending, the household can sustainably add £20 a month to its normal ongoing electricity payment. Dividing £480 by £20 gives a 24-month repayment period. Put that calculation to the supplier, explain the budget behind it and ask it to confirm the plan in writing. The normal payment for new electricity remains due as well.

A supplier may suggest a prepayment meter as an alternative, but it must consider whether prepayment is safe and reasonably practicable. Ask what weekly debt deduction is proposed, how emergency and additional support credit work, and how you will reach and top up the meter.

Your rights after a Great Britain disconnection

Contact the supplier to agree reconnection. The Great Britain guaranteed standard requires reconnection within 24 hours after you pay the overdue charges, agree a repayment plan or agree to a prepayment meter. If this happens outside working hours, the period runs from the start of the next working day.

A supplier that misses the standard owes £40 compensation. It should make the payment within 10 working days; if it does not, a further £40 is due. The supplier may charge reasonable disconnection, reconnection and administration costs, and may request a security deposit, but Citizens Advice says it cannot require a deposit if a prepayment meter is installed. Complain formally if the supplier has not followed the rules.

Northern Ireland has separate rules and support

Ofgem and the Great Britain court and compensation guidance above do not govern Northern Ireland accounts. Northern Ireland suppliers must follow licence-approved payment-of-bills codes. The Utility Regulator's minimum standards require affordable instalment arrangements based on the customer's circumstances and reasonable steps to avoid disconnection, including first trying recovery through a suitable prepayment meter.

The Northern Ireland code requires suppliers to offer a way to avoid disconnection at every stage, make reasonable attempts to identify customers who are older, disabled, chronically sick or on a low income, and not disconnect while an unresolved stage-one or stage-two billing complaint is being handled with the Consumer Council. It also limits disconnection and reconnection charges to actual costs. Contact the Consumer Council for free help if the case is not resolved.