Can I refuse entry to a bailiff? Your rights explained as thousands contacted by debt collectors over energy bills
WHILE bills quickly stack up, plenty of households dread a knock on the door that means a bailiff has come to reclaim any money they owe.
But can you refuse entry? We explain your rights, as thousands of vulnerable people are contacted by debt collectors over their unpaid energy bills.
But as many as six million households could now owe their energy supplier money as energy debt has doubled in the past year.
Just last month, Uswitch warned that families in energy debt owed an average of £188 to their provider.
It's after households have been hit with eye-watering rises on the price of their energy tariff.
Read More on energy bill debt
Last month energy bills soared by 54%, bringing the average annual cost a household has to fork out for, to £1,971.
That's because the price cap went up on April 1, adding £693 on average to about 18 million household's standard tariff bills across the country.
Bill-payers aren't in the clear yet though, as a further increase to the cap could come later in the year too, when energy bills may rise ANOTHER £600.
The regulator, Ofgem, has introduced plans to make price cap updates more frequent too, which could mean families are expected to fork out higher costs even sooner.
To help curb the costs, an energy rebate worth £200 is on the way later this year, but the crucial point is that it has to be paid back, which won't help customers already drowning in due repayments.
If you think a bailiff might visit you to collect those debts, you can stop them turning up by paying the money you owe.
But with bills rocketing at an unprecedented level, that's just not as easy as it sounds.
Here's what you can do if they show up on the doorstep.
They definitely can't come in by force, for example by pushing past you, or through anything except the door - say they tried the window instead.
If you're not home and your kids under 16 or anyone deemed vulnerable answers the door instead, they don't have to let the bailiffs in either.
There's also fixed rules on the times they would ever be allowed to enter your home - they can't come in between 9pm and 6am.
Just keep in mind that if you decide not to let a bailiff in, they could take things from outside your home like your car, to repay the debts you may owe.
But even before a bailiff shows up at your front door, you'll be sent a so-called "notice of enforcement" letter informing you that an agent will visit.
If you’re worried about falling behind with important bills, get in touch with your creditors as early as possible.
They may agree to a new payment plan, based on what you can afford, which will avoid them resorting to bailiffs to begin with.
Get help with energy debt
So you don't even have to face the dreaded knock at the door in the first place, you can get help to clear your energy debt.
Suppliers may offer you a grant if you're struggling to pay your bill for example.
British Gas has earmarked a total of £6 billion to help customers with its own hardship grant.
If they have less than £1,000 in savings and have an outstanding debt of between £250 to £750 on an open gas or electricity or duel fuel account, they could be entitled to the help.
But British Gas is not the only energy firm offering this, so it's always worth checking in with your own supplier.
Households can also get help with the Winter Fuel Payment, which gives people over 65 between £100 and £300 towards the cost of keeping their homes warm during the colder months.
Older people on pension credit or other benefits may be eligible for a £140 payment towards heating costs under the warm home discount scheme too.
If you're worried about paying bills, falling behind or are in debt, there are plenty of organisations where you can seek advice for free, including:
Various councils are offering out cash support to put towards your energy costs too.
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Different councils' incarnations of the Household Support scheme have seen grants of up to £180 offered out to those struggling to make ends meet.
They can use the money to top up their energy payments or put toward rocketing food costs, and more.
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