I know that it can be very tempting to miss a mortgage payment to clear other items, especially as it is a large chunk out of your wage each month. But this really is not the answer.(posted 8840 days ago)If you haven't already done so, get in contact with the utility companies and explain the situation. If you have already gotten to the threatening letter stage, they will still be willing to set up an arrangement with you to pay rather than cut your services off.
Get on a direct debit/standing order arrangement with them. For British Gas and some electric companies you actually pay a cheaper price for your fuel if you pay by direct debit.
So long as you talk to each company, they will listen and are always sympathetic. You're not the first person to get into trouble with payments, and you certainly won't be the last.
Although you're monthly outgoings will go up slightly, this will be a far easier way to pay off your utility arrears than missing a mortgage payment.
Mortgage repayments are reported to the credit reference agencies each month. If you drop into arrears again, this will be reported and it won't look very good if you try to apply for credit elsewhere, or ever come to change your mortgage. This reporting doesn't happen with the utility companies. You may well be charged by the mortgage lender for writing and telling you that you've missed a payment, and unless you pay up in full the following month, you'll receive a letter telling you of the arrears and charging you for the privilege each month. The fact that you have been in arrears before may make a difference, it may not, its impossible for me to say.
If you have trouble meeting your monthly commitments as a whole, perhaps you need to look at the way you live and what your payments are and usually you will be able to cut expenses somewhere, even if its just for 2 or 3 months. If you shop in Sainsbury's go to Asda or Tesco's - something like that!!!
The fact that you have a regular salary is good, it will help you to budget. Not everyone has the chance for overtime as you say, but there is always the opportunity to gain additional income, its just a matter of being flexible and determined to get yourself out of a hole.
In my case, in addition to my normal job, I also sold Avon cosmetics in the evenings and worked at the weekend in a petrol station. Those few extra pounds each week went towards paying off my debts and it did really make a difference.
Good Luck!
Pendle