How to avoid gas/electricity to be cut off? Here are some tips to help you:

	the very first thing you should do is to check out if the bill or statement you received is completely correct. Find out if the sum is just estimated or accurately calculated according to what the meters show. This is especially important when you move to a new house and you receive your first bills. These may show the debts incurred by the previous owners.
	contact and negotiate the gas/electricity company and explain your problems. Companies usually have well-established policies regarding those customers who have difficulties with monthly payments. You can come to an agreement and pay your debts in weekly instalments. These rates will be calculated according to your incomes and financial situation.
	draw up a monthly plan (this can bee on a sheet or in a copybook) in which you write down your incomes and household costs. Calculate your monthly expenses and make a list of priorities. Always put gas and electicity bills on the top of the list, since these have priority.
	check out if you have any options, that is legal rights in such a situation, since there are some benefits for pensioners and people having low salaries. The following groups of people have the right and extra protection when it comes about cutting off the energy: people with disabilities, pensioners, severly ill people, students, people with low income, people who temporarily lost their jobs.
	you can also consider switching your supplier. If you feel you are paying too much for a certain service, you can compare the prices of different energy providers and find the alternative which best suits your budget.
	if you are sure that your difficult financial situation is only temporary, you and your gas/electricity company can come to a so called short term deal. This means that you will be provided the possibility in small instalments, but you have to pay the whole sum you owe to them before the next bill arrives.
	the cheapst way to pay off your debits is the option of the direct debit; energy providers often give discount if you accept this method. This means that you can ask weekly or monthly deductions to be taken from your benefits and transferred directly to the energy provider.
	another option is the so called pre paymment meter, that is you pay in advance for the energy and you also provide, in addition, an amount which you can afford as a contribution to the arrears.
	trusts funds are another way to find solution to this severe problem: some gas and/or electricity companies established independent trusts, which means that you pay a small amount of money together with your monthly bills, and this will be deposited on a separate savings account. When you get in trouble you can contact the company to see if these trust funds can cover (at least parts of) your debts.

All in all, you should be responsible for your own financial situation. Disconnection should be the last solution. After a month’s delay, you will receive a written notification from your energy supplier. If you are still unable to pay the bill for a week, at the end of this notification period you will be cut off. Thus, do not let things get out of your control, try to stick to your monthly budget plan, and place the gas/electricity bills on the top of your duty list. If you can’t remedy the situation by yourself, don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are a lot of local debt counseling services which provide you expert advice.