Poll Finds One Third of UK Adults in Energy Debt or Worried About Arrears, Two Thirds Not Affected

A poll of 2,000 UK adults found that one third are either in debt to their energy supplier or worried about falling behind on payments. The survey, conducted by Opinium between 29 May and 1 June for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, showed the share rising to 45 per cent among parents with a child under 18 and to 35 per cent among disabled people.

Nine per cent of respondents said they were already behind on payments, while a further 22 per cent, roughly 12 million people, said they feared slipping into arrears.

Among those in energy debt, the median amount owed stood at £750. Thirteen per cent of people in debt or concerned about missing payments reported owing money to someone who makes them feel scared; the figure reached 24 per cent among those already in arrears.

Thirty-two per cent of those in energy debt said they had tried to cut usage by turning off heating or taking shorter showers, and 25 per cent kept their homes at uncomfortable temperatures.

Twenty-one per cent of those in energy debt said they had missed rent or mortgage payments, while another 21 per cent reported skipping meals. Eighteen per cent had turned to a foodbank for support, and 15 per cent had been referred to a hardship fund.

Fifteen per cent of people in arrears were on a repayment plan, yet 13 per cent said they had received no contact from their supplier in the past 12 months.

Only 18 per cent of those in arrears felt they had been treated fairly by their supplier, and 8 per cent had been referred to debt advice. Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said the figures showed ordinary households were struggling. "These figures lay bare the true cost of years of failure to fix energy debt caused by the sharp increases in bills," he stated.