What the Northern Ireland Energy Charter is
The Domestic Consumer Energy Charter is an agreement between Northern Ireland’s electricity and gas suppliers, developed with the Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council. Winter 2026/27 is its fifth year. It adds practical commitments for the colder months while also restating protections suppliers must provide throughout the year.
The charter applies to all domestic customers, regardless of which Northern Ireland electricity supplier they use. You do not apply for the charter as a benefit and it does not provide an automatic cash payment. Instead, you contact your supplier and ask it to use the relevant protection when you are struggling with bills, top-ups or debt.
The winter commitments are voluntary and sit above suppliers’ existing regulatory duties. The Utility Regulator says it will monitor supplier behaviour during the charter period and meet suppliers afterwards to review the effect on consumers.
The extra help available this winter
From 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, suppliers have made seven additional commitments. Some apply only in a particular situation, so explain whether your immediate problem is paying a bill, topping up a keypad meter, repaying debt or finding a suitable tariff.
Every supplier will contribute to a third-party charitable hardship fund, but the supplier chooses the fund and the fund provider decides who qualifies. A contribution does not mean every customer is entitled to a grant. Ask your supplier which organisation it supports and how you can be referred or apply.
If you say that you cannot afford a bill or keypad top-up, the supplier will offer a referral to a consumer body for help such as debt advice or a benefits entitlement check. It must also discuss tariff options that may better suit your needs. That conversation is useful even if you are not yet in arrears.
- A contribution from every supplier to a third-party hardship fund.
- An offer of referral for debt advice, benefits checks or other consumer support.
- A discussion of tariff options when you report payment difficulty.
- Lower limits and extra aftercare for some prepayment debt arrangements.
- Protection from an unwanted move to prepayment in specified circumstances.
Keypad and prepayment meter debt protections
If you are new to repaying electricity debt through a keypad or other prepayment meter, the supplier will not set the repayment rate above 20% unless you ask it to. If you are already on the maximum 40% rate, the supplier will contact you and offer a move to a lower rate. You can still ask for less than 20% where that amount is unaffordable because all-year repayment plans must reflect your ability to pay.
For example, at a 20% debt-repayment rate, no more than £4 of a £20 top-up would go towards the agreed debt and at least £16 would buy current electricity. Other deductions or charges can affect the meter balance, so check the top-up receipt or account and ask the supplier to explain anything you do not recognise.
A supplier that moves you to prepayment to recover debt will provide enhanced aftercare, including a check that the plan remains manageable. Customers on a supplier’s customer care register will not be moved to prepayment unless they request it. Separately, no customer in debt will be moved to prepayment without consent between 1 December 2026 and 31 January 2027.
Support that applies all year round
The charter also summarises duties and commitments that do not end on 31 March. If you keep in touch and are willing to work with the supplier, it will not disconnect you for debt. Do not ignore letters or missed payments: early contact gives the supplier the information it needs to arrange support.
A repayment plan should be tailored to what you can afford, considering income, essential outgoings and a suitable payment method. If your circumstances change, ask for another ability-to-pay assessment. The supplier can consider a lower repayment rate or more time to clear the balance rather than leaving an arrangement that has become unrealistic.
Suppliers will also provide practical energy-efficiency advice and explain their customer care registers. These free registers help suppliers and network companies identify people who may need additional support because of a disability, health condition, communication need or personal circumstances. Contact your supplier or NIE Networks to discuss what help is relevant to you.
A practical script for contacting your supplier
Before calling, gather your account number, current meter reading, recent bills, income dates and a short list of essential household costs. For a keypad meter, note the credit remaining, the usual top-up amount and how much is currently being taken for debt. You do not need a perfect budget before asking for help.
Tell the supplier: “I am having difficulty paying for electricity and need support under the Domestic Consumer Energy Charter. Please assess what I can afford, explain my repayment and tariff options, check whether the customer care register applies, and offer a referral for independent advice.” Ask it to confirm the agreed steps and repayment rate in writing.
If you cannot afford the proposal, say so clearly and give the reason. A plan based only on the total debt, without considering your circumstances, is not an affordability assessment. Keep notes of the date, the adviser’s name and any reference number, and contact the supplier again promptly if the plan stops being manageable.
If the supplier does not provide the promised help
Start with the supplier’s formal complaints process and identify the charter commitment or all-year protection you expected. Attach relevant bills, top-up records and notes of earlier conversations. The Utility Regulator monitors whether suppliers honour the voluntary commitments, but it does not handle an individual household complaint in the same way as the Consumer Council.
If the complaint remains unresolved or you are dissatisfied with the response, the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland may be able to help. Its freephone number is 0800 121 6022. For independent benefits and debt advice, the charter also points households to Advice NI and the Make the Call service.
Northern Ireland has its own electricity market and consumer-protection framework. Do not rely on an Ofgem page or an England, Scotland or Wales scheme as proof of a Northern Ireland right. Use the Utility Regulator and Consumer Council sources below, then ask your supplier to confirm how the local commitment applies to your account.
Northern Ireland Energy Charter FAQs
Does every Northern Ireland household qualify for the Energy Charter?
The charter applies to all domestic customers, but its commitments are most likely to help people who are struggling, in debt or need extra support. It is not a cash benefit with a separate application form; contact your supplier about the protection you need.
Can my supplier take more than 20% of a keypad top-up for debt?
For a new prepayment debt plan during the charter period, the rate will not be set above 20% unless you ask for more. If 20% is unaffordable, ask for an ability-to-pay assessment and a lower rate. Existing customers at the 40% maximum should be contacted and offered a lower rate.
Can I be moved to a keypad meter because of electricity debt?
A customer on the supplier’s customer care register will not be moved unless they ask. No customer in debt will be moved without consent from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2027. Outside those protections, the supplier must still follow its codes and assess your circumstances.
Does the charter write off electricity debt?
No automatic debt write-off is promised. The charter provides affordability-based repayment support, referrals, hardship-fund contributions and other protections. Any charitable grant has its own eligibility rules.
Estimate your electricity bill
Use the electricity bill calculator to separate current electricity use from standing charges and debt repayments before you contact the supplier. It cannot decide what you can afford, but a clear bill estimate can help you explain the current charge and propose a realistic repayment amount.
Sources
The dates, commitments, debt-repayment rules and complaint route were checked against these Northern Ireland sources on 3 November 2026: