Large increase in callers with priority utility debt
Debt Advice Foundation is reporting record increases in energy debt callers to its telephone helpline.
The charity’s latest statistical release reveals that average household energy debt stood at £632 in the quarter to August 2022, a 57% increase on the same quarter in the previous year and 28% higher than any other quarter on record.
Despite welcome recent market intervention by government, average household energy debt is expected to increase substantially as the regulatory price cap rises in October, pushing more people into fuel poverty than ever before.
Commenting on the recent data, David Rodger, CEO of Debt Advice Foundation said “Whilst average household energy debt has been increasing for some time as a result of volatile energy markets, the scale of the recent increase is alarming. Particularly concerning for us is that this increase comes ahead of planned energy cost rises in October, when the situation will deteriorate further. It’s essential that anyone that is struggling to make their contractual payments should seek help as soon as they can so that an action plan can be put in place to avoid creditor enforcement actions.”
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