If you were born on or before 5 July 1951 or live with someone born on or before that date, you may be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment to help with fuel costs over the winter.

If you are on a low income, you may also qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme. This gives a rebate of £130 on your electricity bill for this winter. If someone in your household is in receipt of the Guaranteed element of Pension Credit, or receives Savings credit and is over 80 then they should automatically qualify. If you are unsure if this applies to you, contact your energy supplier to find out.

Depending on your circumstances, you might also qualify for other grants or forms of assistance. These schemes can vary across the UK and are run by a variety of organisations.

For more information about energy grants and schemes:

• England
• Wales
• Scotland

Cold Weather Payments can help people who are in receipt of certain benefits with their additional heating costs during winter.

Payments are made when the weather station linked to your area forecasts or records an average daily temperature of 0 degrees centigrade or less for seven days in a row. If you are entitled to cold weather payments, you will automatically be sent a payment of £25 for each period of cold weather.

You do not have to make a claim for a Cold Weather Payment, but if you think you should receive one and you are not paid, you can make a written claim to your local benefit office. If they refuse to make a payment and you still think you are entitled, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again or you can appeal to an independent tribunal.

For more information on Cold Weather Payments:

• England and Wales
• Scotland

If you are on a low income, you might qualify for the Warm Home Discount scheme. This gives a rebate of £130 towards the electricity account of eligible households. You should contact your electricity supplier directly to find out if you qualify.

You can also get help from various schemes across the UK which can help make your home more efficient and keep your bills down. There are different schemes for England, Scotland and Wales.

In England, the scheme is called Warm Front, in Scotland there is a scheme called the Energy Assistance Package, and in Wales it is called NEST.

These government-funded schemes provide energy advice and grants to help with the costs of home insulation. They also help to improve energy efficiency for certain groups of people including those on low incomes. You may also be able to apply to the local authority for a grant, loan or other type of help for home improvements.

You can contact your local Energy Advice Saving centre for information on energy savings schemes and grants in your area. You can find your local centre on freephone 0300 123 1234 (England and Wales) 0800 512 012 (Scotland) or on the Energy Savings Trust's website:

• www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

The Warm Home Discount gives a discount of £130 off the electricity bill of eligible households in 2012/13.

If you are a pensioner and meet the criteria below, you should receive the discount automatically and do not need to apply. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will write to you directly to confirm your eligibility.

• under 80 in receipt of the Guaranteed Element of pension credit only or
• over 80 in receipt of the Guaranteed Element of pension credit only or
• over 80 and receive both the Guaranteed and Savings Elements

All other low income households should contact their energy supplier directly to find out if they qualify, as the criteria may vary slightly between supplier.

Please note that while the scheme is compulsory for the six largest suppliers, smaller suppliers do not have to offer you this discount and can choose to do so on a voluntary basis.

Surviving Winter is a UK-wide campaign to encourage people to make donations to help older and vulnerable people affected by fuel poverty this winter. The campaign is inspired by people who want to recycle their Winter Fuel Payment to support older and vulnerable people. Local community foundations all over the UK are co-ordinating the campaign. What they collect is targeted directly to help those locally who struggle to stay safe through the winter.

Donate online:

• localgiving.com/saga

Or find your local community foundation to donate directly:

• www.communityfoundations.org.uk/community_foundations/map

If you can’t pay an energy bill, you should contact your supplier as soon as possible to explain the situation and make an offer to repay the arrears at a realistic level for you. It can be worrying, but the longer you leave it the worse it will get.

When you contact your supplier, they must give you advice on how to pay back any money you owe and offer you a payment plan that takes into consideration how much you can afford to regularly pay. If you have energy arrears, you may also have other debts which need to be dealt with. You should seek the help of an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau.

For details of how to contact your nearest CAB:

• Get advice

You can also get more information on our factsheet.

It is very unusual to be disconnected if you’re behind with your energy bills, but you shouldn’t put off contacting them. If you don’t let them know you are struggling, they may think you simply do not want to pay.

All the energy suppliers have to follow certain rules on how they should treat customers who are having trouble paying. If you can’t pay your bill, you should be offered an arrangement to pay off your arrears at a rate you can afford. If you can’t afford to do this, the supplier must offer to install a prepayment meter. If you are a pensioner, have long-term ill health, are disabled or have severe financial problems you may also have extra protection from being disconnected. If you have been disconnected, or are threatened with disconnection, and have not been able to sort things out with your energy supplier, you should contact Citizens Advice consumer helpline on: 0845 404 0506.

• More information on avoiding disconnection

If you're facing disconnection, or haven't been able to keep to a payment plan, your energy supplier may offer to install a prepayment meter. If you're in this situation, you may have to accept a prepayment meter if you want to keep your energy supply. A prepayment meter will allow you to pay a fixed amount off your arrears at the same time as paying for the energy you're currently using.

• More information on using a prepayment meter
• More information on avoiding disconnection

Most suppliers provide some emergency credit, which means you can carry on using energy for a while after your top-up runs out. However, if you dip into the emergency credit, you still need to pay for it, so you will need to factor in this cost next time you do top up.

If you’re struggling to top up your prepayment meter, contact your energy supplier immediately to make them aware of the situation. They may be able to reduce the level of debt repayment or offer you a lower priced tariff. Ask whether they offer any schemes to help customers facing financial hardship. In extreme circumstances the Department for Work and Pensions might be able to provide crisis loan as a short term fix to the situation.

For more information on a crisis loan:

• www.gov.uk/crisis-loans/overview

If your home is in a part of the UK that isn't connected to the gas mains network, you might use heating oil to power your central heating system and hot water.

Find out how using domestic heating oil works and your consumer rights when you buy and use it:

• Domestic heating oil - what you need to know

The Priority Services Register is a scheme which offers extra free services to people who are of pensionable age, disabled or have long term ill-health.

Services which might be available include:

• moving your prepayment meter free of charge to make it more accessible
• advice on controls or adaptors to make your meter or appliances easier to use
• advance notice if your energy supply has to be interrupted, such as for work on the electricity network
• arranging for your bills to be sent or copied to someone else who can help you read and check them
• passwords for meter readers and engineers to use when they call

You have to be put onto your suppliers Priority Services Register to qualify for these services. All you need to do is call them and ask to be added.

For more information or advice about free services under the Priority Services:

• www.consumerfocus.org.uk