Gas and electricity arrears are a priority debt — falling behind can lead to a pre-payment meter or, in rare cases, disconnection — so they need dealing with promptly. The good news is that energy arrears can be included in a Debt Arrangement Scheme or Trust Deed. Here’s an honest look at your options.
The solutions we advise on are debt solutions, not loans; some are forms of insolvency, are recorded on a public register and will affect your credit rating. Your initial advice is free and there’s no obligation; if you go ahead, fees apply and are shown to you in full first. We’re a commercial service — free, independent debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper and the Scottish Government.
Energy debt is treated as a priority because of the consequences of ignoring it — your supplier may move you to a pre-payment meter, and in rare cases seek disconnection. That said, suppliers would generally much rather agree an affordable arrangement, and there are proper routes to deal with the arrears.
Energy and utility arrears can be included in a Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), which brings them together with your other debts into one affordable payment and freezes further charges. They can also be included in a Protected Trust Deed, where qualifying arrears you can’t afford may be written off at the end (subject to creditor agreement, and not guaranteed). Ongoing usage still needs to be paid.
Many suppliers also run hardship funds and trust schemes, and there’s free help available — we’ll always point you to these alongside explaining your debt-solution options.
We look at what you can afford and bring your energy arrears together with your other debts into one manageable monthly payment.
We go through your income, outgoings and debts — including energy arrears — to find a realistic payment.
Through a DAS or Trust Deed you make a single payment, shared among your creditors including your energy supplier.
Dealing with arrears formally, alongside signposting to supplier hardship help, reduces the risk of a pre-payment meter or disconnection.
Free, confidential advice with no obligation. Find out in minutes how to deal with your arrears.
See if you qualify →For the right person, these solutions offer real relief. Here are some of the main advantages.
Bring your unsecured debts together into a single monthly payment based on what you can realistically afford.
We deal with your creditors directly, so you no longer have to liaise with them yourself.
Once your solution is in place, interest and charges on the debts included are frozen so the balance stops growing.
Dealing with Scottish debt is all we do, so the advice you get is tailored to the solutions available where you live.
This is a serious step and isn’t right for everyone. We’ll fully explain the implications and check any solution is affordable, achievable and suitable — another option, or free impartial advice, may be better for you.
Because falling behind risks a pre-payment meter or disconnection, energy arrears need dealing with promptly. They can be included in a DAS or Trust Deed, but ongoing usage still has to be paid.
A Trust Deed or DAS affects your credit rating and can make obtaining credit harder for a period. If you’re already behind, your rating is likely affected already.
A Protected Trust Deed is recorded on the public Register of Insolvencies; a DAS on the DAS Register — both searchable.
Where debt can be written off, how much depends on your circumstances and creditor agreement. Nothing is promised.
With priority debts, enforcement can move quickly. The sooner you get advice, the more options you’ll have.
No single solution is right for everyone. We’ll always check whether another route would serve you better first.
If the following sounds like you, it’s worth free advice on your energy arrears. There are other factors we’ll assess, such as your property status and income.
Deal with energy arrears promptly and you’ll have more options. Get a clear, honest picture.
Check if you qualify Free initial advice · No obligation · Fees apply only if you proceed and are shown in full firstYour initial advice is free and there’s no obligation. Trust-Deeds.co.uk is a trading style of My Debt Plan Ltd — a commercial, profit-seeking service, paid for the debt solution you enter into.
If you go ahead with a Protected Trust Deed, your trustee is paid a fixed administration fee plus a further fee based on a percentage of the funds collected during the Trust Deed. These fees are paid from the monthly payments you make, before money is distributed to your creditors — so there is no separate upfront fee. On a Debt Arrangement Scheme, a fee is taken from your monthly payment to cover administering and distributing it to your creditors. Whichever route suits you, all fees are explained and disclosed to you in full before you sign anything.
A DAS repays your arrears in full with charges frozen; a Trust Deed may write off what you can’t afford. We’ll explain the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each.
A Scottish Government scheme to repay your debts in full through one affordable payment, with interest and charges frozen and your home and car protected as long as you keep up the payments. It will still affect your credit rating.
Learn about DAS →A Scottish alternative to bankruptcy for unsecured debts over £5,000. One affordable monthly payment, typically over around four years, after which qualifying unsecured debt you can’t afford is written off (subject to creditor agreement, not guaranteed). A form of insolvency recorded on a public register.
Learn about Trust Deeds →Find out in minutes how to deal with your energy or utility arrears in Scotland. It’s free, confidential and there’s no obligation.
Answer a few quick questions about your situation and a debt advisor at My Debt Plan Ltd will be in touch to talk through your options. It’s free, confidential and there’s no obligation.
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Free, independent debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, National Debtline or Citizens Advice Scotland.
Straight answers to the questions people ask most before choosing a Scottish debt solution.
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