Millions of households struggle to pay energy bills despite price drop – charity
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As millions of people worry about keeping up with their energy payments, arrears levels have continued to increase and many have been left with unaffordable debts as a result Steve Vaid, Money Advice Trust It said energy debt was one of the most common debt types among those who contacted it for support. Steve Vaid, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said: “The fall in the price cap will alleviate some of the pressure many households are under, but our findings show that many more will continue to struggle as energy bills remain high. “Anyone struggling with their energy bills, or worried about their finances, should contact National Debtline as soon as possible – our advisers are here to help.” In May, Ofgem’s director general of markets, Tim Jarvis, told the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee that so-called customer bad debt had soared by more than 50% over the previous 12 months. Mr Jarvis told MPs that bad debt, when customers are unable to pay their energy bill, was now “one of the biggest challenges we’ve got in the sector right now”.