Together with the terrible weather, shock increases on the price of gas and electricity have been distasteful features of this summer. And while we may yet enjoy a sunny autumn season, there is unfortunately no end in sight to spiralling energy prices, as energy providers are already setting their sights on further hikes of about 20% by early next year.

So if you have just come home from your summer holiday, here is the dismal picture of what you can look forward to:

From now on, UK consumers will have no option but to pay attention to their energy bills, or else these increases - when taking into account the rising cost of living overall will end up causing real hardship. So here is what to do if Eat or Heat, could be a question for you this winter.

Get a capped rate or the cheapest discount alternative

You may be thinking that you have missed out on signing up to the cheapest fixed price energy deal, these are limited availability tariffs that come with a guarantee against price increases.

The good news is that some suppliers have now re-entered the ring by offering between 1 to 3 years fixed Price tariffs, which are available from our comparison service

If you cannot find a capped rate that works within your budget, switch to the cheapest deal overall using our service, there are savings available of up to £300 on an annualised basis, but be prepared to switch again in 4-6 month's time when you are notified of a price increase. So be an aware consumer and keep your eyes peeled for deals, that means know where your bills are and have them ready so you can act when that price increase announcement comes through

Contact your supplier.

If you are already struggling with your bills or are in arrears at this time of year (when consumption is low), then that is a sign of trouble ahead for the winter. Contact your supplier and discuss your options, here are the hard and fast rules about being in debt to your supplier

• If you are in debt as a result of inaccurate billing, then the repayment of that debt should take as long as it took to run up the debt. For example, if you have not been billed correctly for a number of years, then your repayments should take just as long.
• Several Trust Funds exist to help people in serious difficulties, your supplier will know about these and will be able to tell you about your eligibility. Ask your supplier for an entitlement check, to find out what help is available.
• If you believe you are at risk, and someone in your household is of pensionable age, disabled or chronically sick, ask your supplier to add you to the Priority Services Register, which can be useful if you find yourself in debt later (if you are on that list, the supplier should offer you additional assistance).

Dealing with Disconnection

Suppliers can disconnect a home if no agreement is reached about debt settlements. The exceptions are:

• Elderly or chronically sick customer may not be disconnected during the winter months (October to March)
• If a debt is with a previous supplier, not the current supplier
• If a debt is not related to your gas and electricity consumption (for example if a customer defaults on the repayments of a boiler bought from the supplier)
• When a customer is officially declared bankrupt

There is no disconnection exception for families with small children.

In the event of disconnection, suppliers will provide instructions on how to get a household reconnected. Here are the things to note:

• Reconnection charges usually apply, and reconnection is usually made only after a debt settlement has been reached.
• The supplier may suggest to install a pre-payment meter at the property in order to reconnect and while this may be tempting, customers should know that getting your energy via prepayment meters costs about 20% more, which will not help in reducing energy bills
• Reconnection can take a week or more, as an engineer will have to come to the property, so customers are advised to keep engaging their suppliers to avoid disconnection in the first place
  
  

You may be able to get a Crisis Loan from the Department of Work and Pension if you cannot afford the reconnection fee. Click here for more information http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/sb16/crisis.asp. This is an interest free loan from the Government. You will have to prove that you genuinely cannot afford to pay the reconnection fee, so this really is an option of last resort only.

Reducing your consumption

Paying more for each unit of gas and electricity is unavoidable given the recent price increases, but by using less energy, it is still possible to take the edge of price increases. The key is to act now, and take the necessary steps before the onset of colder weather. We recommend that you trawl through www.energysavingstrust.org.uk for ideas and also to check whether you may be eligible for a free home insulation improvement grant.

To keep in touch about future free energy benefits, you can sign up to the energywatch newsletter service. To register with energwatch click here http://www.energywatch.org.uk/help_and_advice/free_services/index.asp

Most important in dealing with the issue of energy debt is not to ignore it. Your supplier must offer you options if you are in trouble, and just by contacting them to talk about the problem you will be buying yourself valuable time.