Support That People Don't Know Exists: A Hamilton Guide to Energy-Debt Help

The worry of dealing with energy debt in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.

Across Hamilton and South Lanarkshire, thousands of families are quietly struggling with energy debt, and many don't know about the range of help that’s available.

Around 383,000 households in Scotland are currently in energy debt or arrears, that's 15% of all Scottish households, and it's nearly doubled from just 9% last year.

Right here in our communities, people continue to face impossible choices.

And it's no wonder. The energy price cap has climbed from £1,690 in April 2024 to £1,849 in April 2025, with bills remaining stubbornly high even as the worst of the crisis has passed.

Over a third of Scotland's households, around 861,000, are now in fuel poverty, struggling to heat and power their homes with many falling further into debt just to keep the lights on.

Whether you owe £50 or £2,000, there are grants, emergency payments, and local services designed specifically to help.

The Scottish Welfare Fund: Your Emergency Safety Net

Most folk know about the Scottish Welfare Fund but for those who don’t, it's worth looking at for when you're in a crisis, say your meter's run out, your benefits have been delayed, or an unexpected bill has wiped out your budget.

The fund can provide Crisis Grants that don't need to be repaid and can help with essential food, fuel, or clothing when you're facing an emergency. If you're on a low income or receiving benefits like Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you can apply directly through South Lanarkshire Council. The councils aim to tell you the outcome of your application within 2 working days.

British Gas Energy Trust: Open to Everyone

The British Gas Energy Trust helps families struggling with energy debt and you don't have to be a British Gas customer to get help. Depending on the fund you can go for, prepayment customers owing between £50-£2,000 and credit customers owing between £250-£2,000, may qualify for grants. That grant gets applied directly to your energy account, wiping out some or all of your debt.

You will need to get money advice first though, but that's actually a good thing as advisors can help you create a budget that works, claim benefits you might be missing, and ensure you're not just back in the same situation six months later. Find out more, check your eligibility and apply online.

Your Energy Supplier's Hidden Support Schemes

Most energy companies have their own hardship funds, but they don't exactly advertise them. Energy suppliers like OVO, Eon, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus, Shell Energy, SSE, Utilita and Utility Warehouse offer grants specifically to their customers, usually to help clear energy debt.

Some of these suppliers have clear eligibility criteria and some don’t, you need to contact them, advise that you are struggling and ask directly about their hardship fund or crisis support. Be persistent, these schemes exist, but you have to know to ask for them. If you’d like some help, contact us at Hamilton Citizens Advice.

Warm Home Discount: £150 Off Your Bill

The Warm Home Discount scheme provides £150 off electricity bills between October and March. If you receive Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), you'll get this automatically. If you're on other benefits or on a low income, you'll need to apply through your electricity supplier.

Not all suppliers participate in the scheme, so check with yours here.  The discount goes straight onto your bill, you never see the cash, but you'll see the difference in what you owe.

Winter Heating Payments

Winter Heating Payment is a single automatic payment of £59.75 paid from December 2025 to those receiving eligible benefits. You don't need to apply, if you qualify, it'll arrive in your account.

If you’re of state pension age you may be eligible for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment to support with heating bills. It's paid once a year, and you could get a payment of between £101.70 and £305.10. Again, most eligible people get this payment automatically, with letters being sent out in November 2025 to confirm, but there are a small number of people who do need to apply, so make sure you check and don’t miss out.

For families with disabled children and young people, Child Winter Heating Payment provides £255.80 this winter 2025, to help with increased heating costs. These payments are there to acknowledge that some households genuinely need more energy to stay healthy and safe. Check your eligibility here.

What If You're Already on a Prepayment Meter?

Your supplier can give you temporary credit if you can't top up as you can’t afford it or are having issues topping up. You might get this added automatically to your meter when you run out, or you might need to ask your supplier.

If you run out of this, if you contact your supplier and they agree that you’re vulnerable as you’re disabled or have a long term health condition or for other reason, you might be able to get emergency credit.

There are also emergency top-up vouchers that many people don't know about. You can access emergency energy top-up vouchers when you’re in crisis, there's a limit, up to three vouchers per household in a rolling year. Contact us to find out more.

Taking the First Step.

These schemes exist because society recognises that people need help, bills rise faster than wages and benefits don't stretch far enough. This support is yours to claim.

Here's what to do right now:

1. If it's an emergency (you've run out of fuel, you have no money for the meter): Contact us for specialist support, Money Matters, your supplier or the Scottish Welfare Fund.

   
   

2. If you have ongoing energy debt: Contact the British Gas Energy Trust to see if you qualify for a grant, or call your own supplier's helpline and ask about hardship support.

   
   

3. If you need someone to talk through your options: Book an appointment with us or Money Matters, we'll help you see the full picture.

   
   

4. It’s also worth contacting Home Energy Scotland for free, impartial advice on cutting bills, improving your home’s efficiency and finding funding, and energyadvice.scot which is a national helpline and online chat, for anyone in Scotland with energy problems, including debt, prepayment meters and billing disputes.

Remember, you absolutely deserve to be warm in your own home, so try one of these steps if you need help.

If this blog was helpful, do consider sharing it with a friend, neighbour or family member in Hamilton. The more people know about energy-debt help in our community, the fewer of us have to sit in a cold, dark flat thinking we’re on our own.