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There are lots of ways to pay for your energy bill. Please remember, whichever way you pay you can also view your payment history online. If you would like an online account you can register for one now.

If you're on EnergySmart™, you can only pay by monthly Direct Debit or Debit/credit card.

On this page: Direct Debit | Debit/credit card | Internet banking |
By post | At a Post Office, bank or PayPoint outlet | Payment Card

Either way, you could save on average £67 per year by paying by Direct Debit, find out details of the Direct Debit savings.

Why should I pay by Direct Debit?

Set up a Direct Debit

You can set up a Direct Debit online.

You'll need the following information to hand to set up your Direct Debit with us:

• a recent meter reading
• your bank details (sort code and account number)
• the date each month that you'd like to pay your direct debit - choose any day between the 1st and 28th of each month

Alternatively, you can call us on 0800 048 0202*, our phone lines are open Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday's 8am-6pm.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

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When you get your bill each quarter you can choose to pay online, by SMS text message or by phone with your debit or credit card. Get up to 3.7% off your bill if you pay within 14 days of issue, read more.

Whichever way you choose, you will need to have your Customer Reference Number to hand, as shown below.

1. Paying online

It's quick and easy to pay your British Gas bill online. Make an onlinepayment now.

Please note - we don't currently accept payments made via PayPal.

2. Paying by SMS text message

Once you register with the service you can pay by text. To register to pay by SMS text message, call 0800 048 0202* and choose option 4.

Already registered? You'll receive a SMS message asking you to authorise payment in full. To authorise a payment you'll need to provide the 3 digit security code on the back of your credit or debit card.

You should then reply to the SMS message in the following format, without any spaces, "123G", using your own 3 digit code, adding:

• G for gas
• E for electricity
• C for combined energy

We take payment from the card you used when you registered.

3. Automated payment line

Alternatively, call our automated payment line on 0800 107 0224*anytime to make a payment by phone. Have your debit/credit card handy as well as your Customer Reference Number (in the top right-hand corner of your bill/statement - it starts with 85).

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

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Make a transfer from your bank straight to ours. Use your Customer Reference Number as the reference (in the top right-hand corner of your bill/statement - it starts with 85). It's really important that you use your Customer Reference Number only, and nothing else. This way we'll be able to automatically match your payment with your account.

Our account details are:

• Sort code: 40-05-30
• Account number: 71584685

Payments take between 3 and 4 working days to reach us.

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Send a cheque (we can't accept cash) payable to British Gas Trading Ltd with your Customer Reference Number on the back, plus the payment slip attached to your bill, to:

British Gas, Payment Area 55, Camberley GU95 1AB.

It normally takes 5 days for payments to reach us and be credited to your account.

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1. Take your cash or cheque to the Post Office.
2. Make your cheque payable to Post Office Ltd and write your Customer Reference Number on the back.
3. Remember to take your payment slip from your British Gas bill.

Find your nearest Post Office.

Bank

1. Take your cash or cheque to the bank.
2. Make your cheque payable to British Gas Trading and write your Customer Reference Number on the back.
3. Remember to take your payment slip from your British Gas bill.

Please note: Some banks will charge for this service.

PayPoint outlets

1. You can only pay by cash with PayPoint.
2. Take your whole bill with you.
3. Find your nearest PayPoint

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With a Payment Card arrangement, we calculate the cost of your energy for the year ahead, and divide this into equal fortnightly or monthly payments.Read more about how a payment card works.

If you are on our payment card scheme you can pay your regular instalments by:

• Making a payment online by debit or credit card
• Paying by phone, using our 24 hour automated service on 
  0800 107 0224,* using a debit or credit card
• Making payments at a Post Office
• Making payments at a PayPoint outlet

To set up a Payment Card arrangement with us, or request a replacement card, call us on 0800 048 0202*.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

First we forecast your energy usage, then we calculate your payments. We review your Direct Debit, usually twice a year.

Forecasting your energy usage

Existing customer: we look at seasonal weather patterns and your previous energy usage, based on the meter readings that we have for your account.

New customer: we estimate your future energy usage based on seasonal weather patterns and information you give us when you join - particularly how much energy you used with your previous supplier. If this information is not available, we'll ask you some questions about your home to help us to make an accurate estimate.

Calculating your payments
We calculate the likely cost of your energy for the year ahead by combining:

• your predicted energy usage (see above)
• your current tariff(s)
• any outstanding balance on your account(s) (for existing customers)

For monthly fixed Direct Debit payment, we split this total cost into equal monthly payments. For most people, this means your account will be in debit in the winter and/or credit during the summer - levelling out by the end of the year.

Reviewing your account

We review your payments usually twice a year so they reflect your actual energy usage and our latest prices. It's important to make sure you're paying the right amount so you're not building up a big debit or credit on your account. You can keep your account up to date by submitting regularmeter readings online.

During the year, you may find your account is in credit - particularly over the summer months when you use less energy. We recommend keeping this credit on your account to pay for the extra energy you'll use over the winter and avoid your account going into debit later in the year.

We automatically refund the money into your bank account at the end of the payment year if:

• your account is more than £100 in credit, and
• we've got an accurate meter reading.

If your account is less than £100 in credit, we automatically put this money towards next year's bills. This helps keep your monthly payments as low as possible.

If however you would still like to get a refund before the end of the plan year, just:

1. log into your online account
2. select the account you want a refund for, by clicking 'view account', this will take you to your account summary page
3. from here scroll down and on the right you'll see a 'Direct Debit option box
4. select the 'your plan' option which will take you to your payment scheme details page
5. about half way down on this page, just select 'Request a Refund'

This will allow you to refund any credit you may have on your account. The refund will be in your bank account within 4 working days.

If you haven't got an online account with us, it's easy to register for one now.

More questions about refunds? Send us an online enquiry.

Alternatively you can call us on 0800 048 0202*

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

You can set up a monthly fixed Direct Debit online in a few easy steps.

You'll need the following information to hand to set up your Direct Debit with us:

• a recent meter reading
• your bank details (sort code and account number)
• the date each month that you'd like to pay your Direct Debit - choose any day between the 1st and 28th of each month

When you set up your monthly fixed Direct Debit, we'll suggest a monthly amount for you. We'll normally review this amount in a year.

We can set up Direct Debits from any bank account except savings accounts, which don't have Direct Debit facilities.

Interested in setting up a Quarterly Variable Direct Debit? Read morehere, or call us on 0800 048 0202. We're open 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 8am-6pm Saturday.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

We try to set your Direct Debit payments to the right level to cover your predicted energy costs. We review this amount, usually twice a year to check it's accurate and to take into account any seasonal changes in your energy usage.

If you feel your Direct Debit payments don't accurately reflect your energy usage, Send us an online enquiry or call us on 0800 048 0202,* we're open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on a Saturday. Please ensure your account is up to date with an accurate meter reading, if not you can submit a meter reading online.

Remember your actual energy use changes seasonally and most people use a lot more energy in the winter than the summer.

Any changes to your Direct Debit payments now may lead to you building up a credit or debit balance on your account. This may mean the next time we review your Direct Debit payments, they need to change again.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Yes*. On average, a customer paying by Direct Debit will receive a discount, totalling £27 for gas and £40 for electricity over a year. This discount is deducted from your bill on a quarterly basis. This is in addition to any discount you may receive for being a dual fuel customer.

Gas customers paying by Direct Debit will receive a discount off their Tier 2 consumption charges of 0.196 p/kWh, up to a maximum of £16.25 per quarter (or £5.42 per month for monthly billing customers).

Electricity customers paying by Direct Debit will receive a discount off their Tier 2 consumption charges (and night rates where applicable) of 1.873 p/kWh up to a maximum of £10 (inc VAT) per quarter (or £3.33 per month for monthly billing customers.

The discount is rounded up and includes VAT at 5%. It will vary according to seasonal consumption.

Average annual consumption (as at January 2011) is assumed as:

• 16,500 kWh for gas
• 3,300 kWh for single rate electricity

You can find out how to set up a Direct Debit here.

*Please note: If you have an outstanding balance, over 28 days old, then the discount does not apply.

You could save an average of £67 a year paying by Direct Debit - no other British Gas payment option offers a better discount. On average, people save £27 for gas and £40 for electricity over a year. This is shown on your quarterly statement and is in addition to any Dual Fuel discount.

Other reasons to pay by Direct Debit:

• it's convenient - you don't have to queue at the Post Office or bank, send a cheque or call us to make a payment
• with monthly fixed Direct Debit you can spread the cost of your annual bills, so you don't pay more in the winter when you use more energy
• it's secure and you're protected by the Direct Debit guarantee
• choose which day of the month you make your payments
• choose from fixed Direct Debit or variable Direct Debit
• no matter which tariff you're on you can pay by Direct Debit.

Find out more about Direct Debit discounts.

Monthly fixed Direct Debit
Spread your energy costs more evenly throughout the year and know exactly what your bills are each month.

We review the monthly fixed amount usually twice a year to make sure they reflect your energy usage and current tariff.

Variable Direct Debit
You pay for the actual amount of energy you use each month or quarter, as you would for a phone bill. You pay more in winter when your energy usage is highest, and less in summer

There are two types of variable Direct Debits:

• Monthly variable Direct Debit (EnergySmart only customers)
• Quarterly variable Direct Debit

We recommend you submit regular meter readings so you only pay for what you use.

This graph shows how a quarterly Direct Debit could vary according to your energy usage throughout the year.

We'll send you a bill 10 days before we collect your Direct Debit payment.

Quarterly Variable Direct Debit is an alternative to monthly fixed Direct Debit that allows you to pay for the actual amount of energy you use. This means you pay more in winter when your usage is highest, but less in summer.

By choosing to pay your bill by Quarterly Variable Direct Debit, we'll automatically take the full amount of your quarterly bill from your bank account - so you don't have to remember to pay your bill. We will always send you your bill 10 working days before we take the payment - so you can check it's right, and give us a more recent, accurate meter reading if required. As with all Direct Debit payment arrangements, you are protected by the Direct Debit guarantee.

To set up a Quarterly Variable Direct Debit you'll need the following information:

• An up to date meter reading.
• Your sort code and bank account details.
• Your British Gas customer reference number.

Once you have this information please call us on 0800 048 0202*, and we will set up the arrangement for you. We're open weekdays 8am - 8pm and Saturdays 8am - 6pm.

Prefer to pay your energy bills through a monthly variable Direct Debit? Why not try EnergySmart™.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

We'll send you a statement roughly every quarter. If you manage your account online we will send you an email when your latest statement is available.

EnergySmart™ customers
We send you an email every month when your bill is available to see online.

Giving us regular meter readings is the best way to help make sure your statements match your energy usage and you're not paying too much or too little.

We recommend that you give us one meter reading every quarter - or one a month if you're on EnergySmart™.

Want meter reading reminders by email? Just sign up for an online account.

Register for an online account now.

Usually every 6 months. We review your Direct Debit so your payments reflect your energy usage, latest tariff and any outstanding balance(s), so that you don't build up too much credit or debit on your account(s).

For new customers, we usually review your Direct Debit after a year.

If your payments need to change for any reason, we'll let you know on your latest statement.

We'll always let you know 10 days before we collect the new amount from your bank either by email or post.

When we review your account, we may find that your current payments are not enough to cover your energy usage for the year. This may be due to a number of reasons.

Energy usage changes
Your gas or electricity consumption can change from time to time and this may influence your Direct Debits payments. Reasons for using more energy may include:

• colder weather
• having more people in the house
• using more electrical appliances
• working from home

Submitting regular meter readings online will ensure you are billed based on your correct energy usage.

Want to find ways to help reduce your energy usage? Get personal energy tips with the Energy Savers Report.

Price and/or tariff changes
If there's been a recent price change or you've changed tariff, your Direct Debit may need to be adjusted to meet your predicted energy costs.

Debit balance on your account
If you have a debit balance on your account, your energy costs may be higher than the payments you're making. We need to increase your Direct Debit payments to cover this and to help make sure your account stays accurate.

If your payments need to change for any reason, we tell you this on your latest statement and show you what your new payment will be.

EnergySmart™ customers get a consumption graph with each bill - this should help you see any obvious increases/decreases in your energy usage.

When we review your account, we may find that your current payments are higher than your actual energy costs. This may be due to a number of reasons, including:

Energy usage changes
Your gas or electricity consumption can change from time to time and this will influence the amount your Direct Debits need to be set at.

Reasons for using less energy may include:

• having fewer people in the house
• installing a more efficient boiler
• improved insulation
• making use of energy efficient products, such as light bulbs and standby savers

Submitting regular meter readings online will ensure you are billed based on your correct energy usage.

Price and/or tariff changes
If there's been a recent price change or you've changed tariff, your Direct Debit may need to be adjusted to meet your predicted energy costs.

Credit balance on your account
If you have a credit balance on your account, this may mean that your regular payments are more than your actual energy usage. We need to lower your Direct Debit payments to reflect this and to help make sure your account stays accurate.

If your payments need to change for any reason, we will tell you this on your latest statement and show you what your new payment will be.

EnergySmart™ customers get a consumption graph with each bill - this should help you see any obvious increase/decrease in your energy usage.

Yes - the next time we review your Direct Debit payments. We will review your account, usually twice a year, and we take into account any change in the price of your tariff, including the date on which the change happened.

This information is used together with our knowledge of your energy consumption and any credit/debit on your account.

We'll always let you know 10 days before we collect the new amount from your bank either by email or post.

We automatically refund you directly into your bank if your energy account is more than £100 in credit at the end of the payment year and we have an accurate meter reading. This is because a lot of people prefer not to build up significant credit on their account.

We may then need to increase your Direct Debit payments to cover your predicted energy usage (combined with your current tariff) and to help keep your account more accurate in the future.

If you're on a fixed-price tariff, the cost is fixed per unit of energy you use and will not change during your fixed-price period.

If your Direct Debit has increased, it may be because:

Your energy use has increased
Reasons for using more energy include having more people in the house or using more electrical appliances. When we review your account, we look at your latest meter readings. You can help us calculate your energy usage accurately by submitting regular meter readings online.

You're coming to the end of your fixed-price plan
Your Direct Debits are set up to cover your energy costs over the whole of the coming year. Beyond the agreed end date of your fixed price plan, you'll be paying a different amount for each unit of energy you use. We will take this into account when reviewing your upcoming payments.

We will write to you a few weeks before your fixed-price tariff ends to let you know your options and help you choose the right tariff to move on to. You can also view our current available tariffs online.

Yes. Here is the Direct Debit guarantee in full:

• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debit.
• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit British Gas Trading Limited will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request British Gas Trading Limited to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request
• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by British Gas Trading Limited or your bank or building society you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society
• If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when British Gas Trading Limited asks you to.
• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

Yes*. On average, a customer paying by Direct Debit will receive a discount, totalling £27 for gas and £40 for electricity over a year. This discount is deducted from your bill on a quarterly basis. This is in addition to any discount you may receive for being a dual fuel customer.

Gas customers paying by Direct Debit will receive a discount off their Tier 2 consumption charges of 0.196 p/kWh, up to a maximum of £16.25 per quarter (or £5.42 per month for monthly billing customers).

Electricity customers paying by Direct Debit will receive a discount off their Tier 2 consumption charges (and night rates where applicable) of 1.873 p/kWh up to a maximum of £10 (inc VAT) per quarter (or £3.33 per month for monthly billing customers.

The discount is rounded up and includes VAT at 5%. It will vary according to seasonal consumption.

Average annual consumption (as at January 2011) is assumed as:

• 16,500 kWh for gas
• 3,300 kWh for single rate electricity

You can find out how to set up a Direct Debit here.

*Please note: If you have an outstanding balance, over 28 days old, then the discount does not apply.

Monthly fixed Direct Debit payments are the same every month but as energy usage is usually higher in winter, some people build up a debit because they're using more energy than they're paying for. This should level out over the summer - but if you prefer you can make a 
payment online now.

Alternatively, send us an online enquiry or call us on 0800 048 0202* to pay off the debit on your account. We can also review your monthly Direct Debit payments.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

During the year, you may find your account is in credit - particularly over the summer months when you use less energy. We recommend keeping this credit on your account to pay for the extra energy you'll use over the winter and avoid your account going into debit later in the year.

We automatically refund the money into your bank account at the end of the payment year if:

• your account is more than £100 in credit, and
• we've got an accurate meter reading.

If your account is less than £100 in credit, we automatically put this money towards next year's bills. This helps keep your monthly payments as low as possible.

If however you would still like to get a refund before the end of the plan year, just:

1. log into your online account
2. select the account you want a refund for, by clicking 'view account', this will take you to your account summary page
3. from here scroll down and on the right you'll see a 'Direct Debit option box
4. select the 'your plan' option which will take you to your payment scheme details page
5. about half way down on this page, just select 'Request a Refund'

This will allow you to refund any credit you may have on your account. The refund will be in your bank account within 4 working days.

If you haven't got an online account with us, it's easy to register for one now.

More questions about refunds? Send us an online enquiry.

Alternatively you can call us on 0800 048 0202*

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

If you would like to change your bank details, simply log into your online account, select "Your Plan" and click on "Change my bank details". Just provide your new bank details there and it will be automatically updated in our systems*.

*Please note that if your instalment is due in the next few days, then it would still need to come out from your existing bank account as we would have already submitted the request to your bank. In this case, the change would be reflected from your next instalment only.

Homecare customer? Send us an online enquiry or call us on 
0800 365 100*.

Alternatively if you haven't got an online account why not Register now or you can call us at 0800 048 0202**.

**Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Just send us an online enquiry or call us on 0800 048 0202.* If you're changing the date, you can choose any day between the 1st and 28th of the month.

Homecare customer? Send us an online enquiry or call us on 
0800 365 100.*

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Send us an online enquiry or call us on 0800 048 0202* to cancel your Direct Debit and discuss other ways to pay your energy bills. Alternatively you can cancel your direct debit by letting your bank or building society know. For more details see our information on the Direct Debit guarantee.

If you're leaving British Gas and you owe money on your account, we'll send you a bill for this amount.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

If you pay your bill in full within 14 days, you can look forward to:

Gas customers:

• get a discount off your next quarter's consumption charges of 1.7% up to a maximum of £3.25 (inc VAT) per bill.

Electricity customers:

• get a discount off your next quarter's consumption charges of 3.3% up to a maximum of £3.75 (inc VAT) per bill.

Your Prompt Payment Discount carries over from bill to bill. So, if you pay your first one in full within 14 calendar days, you get money off your next bill. But you've got to keep the momentum going - if you don't pay your second bill on time, you won't qualify for a discount on your third bill.

How to qualify for Prompt Payment Discount.

You qualify if you pay your bill in full within 14 days of the bill date, andpay by one of the following methods:

Quarterly Billing:

• pay by debit or credit card, either online, over the phone using our automated number (0800 107 0224) or via text SMS)
• pay by internet or telephone banking
• pay by cash or cheque

Monthly Billing (EnergySmart™customers only)

• pay by debit or credit card online

Read more about how you can pay.

What you need to know about Prompt Payment Discount

• available on both gas and electricity
• the Prompt Payment Discount is awarded in addition to any Duel Fuel discount you may be receiving
• if you change your payment method, you may not qualify for the Prompt Payment Discount. However should you decide to switch to Direct Debit, you will be entitled to the Direct Debit discount instead
• Prompt Payment will appear as a separate discount on your energy bill and applies to both paper and online bills
• for EnergySmart™ customers who receive their bills monthly, the Prompt Payment Discount is applied to your monthly bill in the same way

If you receive paper bills you can call our 24-hour automated service on 0800 107 0224, please remember to have your Customer Reference Number handy, as shown below.

It's easy to register for an online account so you can check your balance online, all you need is your Customer Reference Number.

Register for an online account now.

If your bill is higher than you expected, it may be due to one of these reasons:

• Is it an estimated bill? If you haven't given us a meter reading recently, we may have estimated your bill. We will adjust your bill if you call us with a meter reading within 14 days.
• Are there more days in this bill period? It may have been a longer month or there may have a bigger gap between meter readings.
• Have you got a balance brought forward? If you didn't pay your bill in full last time, the remaining amount will show on this bill.
• Have you recently changed tariff? If the tariff you were on has ended or you've changed tariff your bills are likely to change. We'll contact you when your tariff is coming to an end to discuss your options.
• Has there been a price increase during the time of the bill? If energy prices have gone up over the last quarter, this may have affected your rates.
• Are you using more energy? If you have more people at home, have bought some extra appliances or if it's got colder, you may simply be using more gas and/or electricity.
• Have you had your appliances checked or serviced recently? An old inefficient appliance will use more energy, and may need to be replaced.
• Was your recent meter reading wrong? If we read your meter or you sent us a meter reading, there's a slight chance it may have been wrong.
  Submit another meter reading online

To discuss a recent bill, please call us on 0800 048 0202*, we're open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on a Saturday.

If you're having trouble paying your bill let us know as soon as possible so we can talk you through your options. Please call us on 0800 048 0404*or textphone 18001 0800 072 86268.*

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

If you manage your account online, you'll be able to view all your previous bills* online or if you want you can also download and save a copy to your computer. To view a copy of any of your bills, please log in to your online account and follow these steps:

1. select your gas or electricity account, and click on 'view account'
2. select 'View statement/bill', just below your latest account balance
3. select the bill or statement date from the drop down menu, and select 'view'
4. scroll down and select 'Download a PDF copy of your bill or statement'
5. you should now be viewing a copy of your bill/statement and if you want you can save it to your computer

Alternatively, if you'd still like a copy bill sent, you can request one, using our online contact form. Please remember to include the actual date of the bill you need.

Just so you know your copy bill may take up to 10 working days to arrive.

*This includes bills or statements

You only get one bill every quarter so you may not be due another bill yet. If you've recently given us a meter reading, we'll use this information to work out your next bill when it's due.

If you are expecting a bill, here's how to find out where it is:

Manage your account online?

Get paper bills?

Call us on 0800 048 0202* (Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, and Saturday's 8am-6pm).

If you're on Dual Fuel, your bills may still be ready separately even if both your meters were read at the same time. Your bill may take up to seven working days to arrive.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Economy 7 is an electricity tariff with different pricing structures according to the time of day. The energy you use at night costs less per kWh than energy used at other times. The cheaper night time tariff usually runs from about 1am to 8am - although this can vary, depending where you live.

Check the Economy 7 times for your region using this table below:

If the Economy 7 times on your meter differ from those listed for your region, or you have a fault with your meter, please contact us:

• Pay As You Go electricity meter: 0800 048 0303*
• standard (credit) electricity meter: 0800 048 0202* (Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, and Saturday 8am-6pm).

Did the exchange take place in the last 28 days? If so then your account is in the process of being updated. Please be patient while this is happening. As soon as your new meter details are updated on your account you will be able to provide meter readings for your new meter.

If the exchange was more than 28 days ago, then there may be something wrong. Please contact us and we will investigate and resolve any issues for you. Please provide your new Meter Serial Number, a current meter reading and the date your meter was changed when you contact us.

If you are having difficulty paying your gas or electricity bill, please call 0800 048 0404* or textphone 18001 0800 072 86268* immediately.

We can help, but only if we know there is a problem. We will consider your ability to pay and have a number of solutions we can offer and ways we can help.

We may be able to:

• Arrange for you to pay your bill by instalments at an agreed rate.
• Agree on a more suitable payment method or tariff
• Fit a pay as you go meter
• Collect a weekly amount directly from your benefits. If you need further information after you have spoken to us, then you should contact your Benefits Agency
• Provide you with advice on how to reduce your energy consumption

Please tell us if:

• You are elderly, or have a disability or long term illness
• You are a tenent, the debt is in your landlord's name and you pay them for your gas or electricity (also tell your local authority)
• You receive Income Support or income-based Jobseekers Allowance as the Benefits Agency may be able to help you.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

If you're having trouble paying your bill, here are some of the ways we may be able to help:

• give you some more time to pay as long as it's before your next bill is due
• arrange for you to pay your bill by instalments
• help you choose a different payment method that may be more suitable
• make budgeting easier by installing a pay as you go meter at your property
• if you receive means-tested benefits, any of the following are fuel direct eligible, (Income Support, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance or income-based Jobseekers allowance), we can arrange to take an amount directly from your benefits, every week or fortnight. For more information, contact your Benefits Agency or call us on 
  0800 107 7064.*

It's important to let us know as soon as possible if you don't think you can pay your bill. Call us on 0800 107 7064* or textphone 18001 0800 072 86268* (if you are deaf or hard of hearing). We're open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 6pm.

We always take your circumstances into account so when you phone, please tell us if you:

• are elderly, or have a disability or long-term illness
• are a tenant, the account is in your landlord's name and you pay them for your gas or electricity
• receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

Find out more about organisations that can help you if you're having trouble paying.

For further support and advice download our lots of ways to pay leaflet.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

For some people, switching to Pay As You Go Energy™ may be a good way to pay off outstanding bills and manage your payments in the future.

Call us on 0800 107 7064 * to discuss whether getting a pay as you go meter is the right option for you.

If you decide to go ahead, we'll decide together how much you'll need to pay every week. We'll also send you a booklet which should answer any questions you have.

The installation appointment
Our engineer will come to your home to exchange your meter for a pay as you go meter. This will take about 30 minutes.

The engineer will make sure your gas/electricity supply is on and you'll be able to use an amount of emergency credit, which will be deducted when you first top up.

What happens next
We'll write to you to confirm your final balance, make sure you're happy with your new meter and give you the contact details for our Pay As You Go Energy™ team.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

If you're having trouble paying your gas or electricity bill, call us so we can help on 0800 107 7064 * or textphone 18001 0800 072 86268.*We're open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 6pm.

There are a number of ways we can try to help, but it's really important youlet us know as soon as possible if you're having problems paying your bill.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

It's important to let us know as soon as possible if you don't think you can pay your bill. There are a number of ways we can help so call us on 
0800 107 7064 * or textphone 18001 0800 072 86268*. We're open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 6pm.

If you don't pay your bill or get in touch with us we will phone and write to you. If we can't get in touch we may visit you at home. You may be charged for this and for any other costs we incur trying to collect the money you owe us. Remember that your credit rating will be affected if you do not pay your bills.

If we have not received your payment or heard from you, we may:

• install a pay as you go meter at your property - you pay off your debt in instalments each time you top up
• start court proceedings - to be able to disconnect your energy supply
• pass your account to a debt collection agency to collect payment

About your credit rating:
Like many other companies, we share information with credit reference agencies. Late payment of your bills can therefore affect your ability to obtain credit in future from other credit providers and affect the terms on which credit is offered, such as the interest rate you pay.

For further support and advice download our lots of ways to pay leaflet or read about our Essentials Programme

* Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

British Gas debt team
If you're having trouble paying your gas or electricity bill, call us so we can help on 0800 107 7064* or textphone 18001 0800 072 86268.* We're open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 6pm.

Other useful resources include:

British Gas Ways to Pay Booklet and budget planner.

National Debtline
Free confidential and independent advice on how to deal with debt problems. Call 0808 808 4000 or visit the National Debtline website.

British Gas Energy Trust
An independent charity established by British Gas, the trust may be able to help if you have an energy debt. It can offer grants and Further Assistance Payments (FAPs) to British Gas customers. Find out more about British Gas Energy Trust.

Turn2us
This organisation can find out if any grants or benefits may be available based on your circumstances. Visit the Turn2us website.

Consumer Direct
Consumer Direct, the government's helpline for consumer advice, offers clear, practical and impartial help & advice, you can call on 08454 04 05 06 or go to www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a 4 year programme run by the government and energy suppliers to provide rebates on the electricity bills of households that need it most in England, Scotland, and Wales.

As of 8th July 2011, the Warm Home Discount Scheme replaced our Essentials tariff to new applicants. Existing customers on our Essentials tariff will remain on this tariff until we contact them to register for the Warm Home Discount Scheme. Essentials customers can talk to us about any enquiries they may have by calling the freephone number: 0800 072 8625*.

The one-off benefit of £120 (inclusive of VAT) will be provided to customers as a rebate payment, credited to their electricity account between January and March 2012. There will be no alternate methods of payment available.

Our Pay As You Go customers will automatically receive the £120 credit on their electricity meter between January and March 2012, provided their meter is set up to receive such messages. If not, customers will receive a letter detailing how these payments will be made between January and March 2012.

Check if you're eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

A Payment Card is a way of paying for your energy and spreading the cost of your bills throughout the year. It means you don't pay more in the winter when you use more energy.

You can choose to pay for your energy fortnightly or monthly. However, unlike Direct Debit, you will not receive a discount if you pay by this method,read more about Direct Debit discounts.

You'll find details of your instalment amounts and frequency on your quarterly statement. If you are on our payment card scheme you can pay your regular instalments by:

• making a payment online by debit or credit card
• paying by phone, using our 24 hour automated service on 
  0800 107 0224,* using a debit or credit card
• using your Payment Card to make cash payments at a Post Office or PayPoint outlet.

Find your nearest Post Office.

As we issue you with separate cards for your gas and electricity, remember to use the right card each time so you don't go into debit on either account.Please note: If you are a Combined energy billing customer you'll just use one card to pay both your gas and electricity.

A Payment Card is not the same as Pay As You Go (also known as Pre-pay), see our Help and Advice for Pay As You Go Energy™.

During the year, you may find that your account is in credit - particularly over the summer months when you use less energy. We recommend keeping this credit on your account to pay for the extra energy you'll use over the winter and avoid your account going into debit later in the year.

We automatically refund you, by cheque, at the end of the payment year, if:

• your account is more than £100 in credit; and
• we've got an accurate meter reading

If your account is less than £100 in credit, we automatically put this money towards next year's bills. This helps keep your monthly payments as low as possible.

More questions about refunds? Call us on 0800 048 0202*. Our phone lines are open Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and 8am-6pm on a Saturday.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

First we forecast your energy usage, then we calculate your payments. We review your payments regularly - usually twice a year.

Forecasting your energy usage

New customer: we estimate your future energy usage based on our knowledge of seasonal weather patterns and information you give us when you join - particularly how much energy you used with your previous supplier. If this information is not available, we'll ask you some questions about your home so we can help make a more accurate estimate.

Existing customer: we look at seasonal weather patterns and your previous energy usage, based on the meter readings that we have for your account.

Calculating your payments

We calculate the likely cost of your energy for the year ahead by combining:

• your predicted energy usage (see above)
• your current tariff
• any outstanding balance on your account (for existing customers)

We then split this total annual cost into equal fortnightly or monthly payments. For most people, this means your account will be in debit in the winter or credit during the summer - levelling out by the end of the year.

This graph shows how energy usage could vary throughout the year but your payments stay the same.

Reviewing your account

We review your payments usually twice a year so they reflect your actual energy usage and latest prices. It's important to make sure you're paying the right amount so you're not building up a big debit or credit on your account.

When we review your account, we may find that your current payments are not enough to cover your energy usage for the year. This may be due to a number of reasons, including:

1. Energy usage changes

Your gas or electricity consumption can change from time to time and this will influence what your payments need to be.

Reasons for using more energy may include:

• colder weather
• having more people in the house
• using more electrical appliances
• working from home

Want to find ways to reduce your energy usage? Try our Energy Savers Report to see where you could make adjustments. Get personal energy tips with our Energy Savers Report.

Tip: The best way to make sure your bills and payments reflect your energy usage is to give us an up-to-date meter reading regularly.

2. Price and/or tariff changes

If there has been a recent price change or you've changed tariff, your payments may need to be adjusted to meet your predicted energy costs.

3. Debit balance on your account

If you have a debit balance on your account, your energy costs are higher than the payments you're making. We may need to increase your payments to cover this and to help make sure your account stays more accurate.

You receive a statement every quarter.

If you manage your account online (instead of getting paper bills) we will send you an email when your statement is available. You will also be able to see a record of all of your previous payments made against your account.

It's quick and easy to register for an online account, register online now.

Tip: The best way to make sure your bills and payments match your energy usage is to give us an up-to-date meter reading regularly.

Find out more about:

How to read your meter.

How to send your meter reading to us.

We try to set your payments to the right level to cover your predicted energy costs for the whole year. We review this amount usually twice a year to check it's accurate and to take into account any seasonal changes in your energy usage.

If you feel your payments don't accurately reflect your energy usage, or you want to change your payment date or frequency, please call us on 
0800 048 0202*, with a recent meter reading. Our phone lines are open Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and 8am-6pm on a Saturday.

Any changes to your payments may lead to you building up a credit or debit balance on your account which may lead to a change in your instalments in the future. Remember your actual energy use changes seasonally and most people use a lot more energy in the winter than the summer.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

To get a new card, call us on 0800 048 0202*. There is a charge of £5, which we add to your account. Your new card should take 10 working days to arrive.

If it hasn't arrived yet and you need to make your next payment, you can:

• make a payment online by debit or credit card
• pay by phone, using our 24 hour automated service on 
  0800 107 0224,* using a debit or credit card

It's quick and easy to register for an online account.

You just need your customer reference number, which you'll find on any of our bills or statements.

On Pay As You Go? It's not the same as a Payment Card. Read about 
Pay As You Go lost card/key information.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Combined energy billing is the most convenient way to see your energy bills in one place. So if British Gas supplies both your gas and electricity, you would get just one bill for both.

It makes paying for your energy more convenient because we just take one payment rather than two.

There is no charge for combined energy billing and you keep your current tariff, payment method and any discounts. Plus, we level your bills out so you're never in credit on one account, eg gas, and debit on another, eg electricity.

No, the amount you pay will remain the same as we have simply combined your separate gas and electricity bills into one bill.

Just as usual, your bill will show you how much gas and electricity you're using and the related charges for each. If you're a direct debit customer, we will now only take one payment from the bank account details that you've provided.

No, not unless you have one of our Energy Extra products, which is included in the one bill.

Otherwise, just your gas and electricity bills will be combined into one bill - your other service accounts are separate and you will continue to pay for them separately.

Yes. We need both meter readings - gas and electricity - at the same time. This is so we can give you an accurate bill without having to estimate your energy usage.

Just to assure you, we'll send you a reminder when your meter read is due.

Submit a meter reading online

Yes - if you have an online account you can see your account/payment history online. Follow these simple steps to access your account history:

1. log in to your account
2. select an account from the 'your accounts' page
3. then select the tab called 'account history'

Don't have an account? Register for an online account now

We started sending statements in July 2010. Every customer who has been with British Gas for at least 12 months, on or before December 2010, should receive their annual statement by the end of the year.

If you manage your account online, your annual statement will be added to Your Account at the same time as your next bill. If your annual statement is not linked to your bill or you ask for an extra copy, we'll send this in the post rather than add it to your online account. If you don't yet manage your account online, your annual statement will come in the post.

Want to manage your bills, submit meter readings and see your energy consumption online? Register for an online account now.

Please note: If you are currently working with us to resolve a complaint, we will wait until this is resolved before sending your annual statement.

Annual statements are designed to give you more information to help you:

• choose how to pay for your energy
• choose a supplier
• keep track of how much energy you may use

All energy suppliers now send annual statements, as agreed with Ofgem, the energy regulator in April 2009.

For more information on paying for your energy, see the British Gas Ways to Pay leaflet.

Your annual statement shows:

• your tariff (and, if it has one, the end date) - so you know how much you currently pay for energy. As your end date approaches you can compare British Gas tariffs
• principle terms of your contract - such as the price you pay for your energy or any cancellation fee if you end a long-term contract early
• details of any premiums or discounts you have compared to our standard monthly Direct Debit tariff
• energy you've used over the last 12 months - helping you understand if your usage has gone up or down and whether you're still on the best price plan for your circumstances
• projected costs for the next 12 months - helping you budget for the future. If you are on a tariff that is due to end soon we will take this into account when making our projection. If you are paying by direct debit or are on a payment scheme, the projected cost will be different to your re-assessment calculation. The projected cost is an estimate and does not include any credit / debit balance you may have on your account.
• a reminder that you can change supplier - if you want to - and where to find independent advice on switching

Have a question about your statement? Call the number at the top of your statement or bill and have your Customer Reference Number handy.

We look back over the last year and work out your statement using:

• the number of kilowatts hours (kWh's) you've used
• the unit cost of your current tariff

We use actual meter readings taken over the last 12 months. If there are missing readings, we work out an average, based on the ones we have got. We also take into account the time of year, for example, most people use more energy in January than August.

Had a few estimated bills? For more accurate bills, we need regular meter readings, submit a meter reading online now.

If you want to look at your energy consumption, payments, bills and meter readings in more detail, you can register for an online account now.

Account enquiries