‘It’s unsustainable’: homes in Great Britain brace for winter with soaring energy debts | Energy bills

Three and a half years after the war put Europe into an energy supply crisis, millions of households in Great Britain are preparing for another winter painful gas and electricity bill.

On Wednesday, three -month wages will increase again. Despite the decrease in wholesale gas prices, the ceiling of the typical one -year dual fuel bill increases by 2% to help meet the costs of energy policies and network upgrades.

When the government is forced to take steps to subsidize, the invoices are much lower than the peak of the energy crisis. However, in 2022, Russia’s full -scale Ukrainian invasion remained almost 600 £ higher a year before. And as the border fell, households increased increased debts.

The latest estimates from the Industrial Establishment of Great Britain broke a record of £ 4.4 billion since June from June on June. The same month revealed that the government figures could not pay directly with the bank and energy bills with the bank because there was not enough money in the bank accounts.

Finally, Simon Francis, a coordinator, said that the numbers should “steal the alarm bells” at the treasury because they showed that the crisis was not over. “Consumer energy debt continues to grow uncontrollably,” he added.

The risks of the households struggling to pay their invoices are clear. There is a coalition induced In addition to freezing houses, thousands of winter deaths that live in cold, humid conditions and connected with prints from weak heated residence on NHS.

While the British struggled to pay monthly invoices and shift unpaid debts, some household people resorted to tamper with gas and electricity to steal energy. Others wear gloves inside and limit the heating to only one room.

62 -year -old Lindsey, who lives in Cheshire, said that his house should be hot because there are many health conditions, including asthma and depression. The condition has worsened with a broken radiator and mold through lack of heating.

He said: “When I fear the cost of wearing heating, he tends to lie on my sofa, curl, to pull the edges of my Jumper over my chin to stay as warm as possible. Quite alone and I think this is not good for my mental health.”

Installation energy debts also force invoices. Earlier this year, Ofgem added extra £ 50 to the price limit annually, which will be given to energy suppliers to help unpaid debts meet the cost.

The regulator believes that Billpayers will be cheaper for suppliers to keep the recovery cost alive if they save them in the depths of a number of companies’ energy crisis. An existing energy debt levels cannot be sustained, ”an OGEM spokesman said. “And this is a challenge that requires everyone’s action, such as regulatory, government and industry.”

The data of the regulator reveals that the number of billpayers in debts began to stabilize last year, but the total amount of debt continues to increase. The number of households is increasing again this year.

The number in a reimbursement plan is well below the summit, which is about 1.1 m for electricity in the middle of 2022 and 900,000 for gas. The estimated 876,000 households paid back their electricity debts and 714,000 were doing the same for gas.

However, the number of households without a repayment plan rose to new peaks: 1.13m for electricity and 926,000 for gas.

Energy supplier E.ON’s General Manager Chris Norbury said: “If you look at the debt book, he tells a story: basically there are three customer types.

“The second group of people we see in our debt book, people who have never struggled to pay their energy bills before, but they started from the energy crisis. We will always offer support when they deal with us.

“Then, unfortunately, we see a growing customer cohort, but for what reason it will not be paid. As a result, customers in this category cost everyone more expensive. It is important for us to target support for those who need it.

“The UK is a contrary in many ways when it comes to the targeted price protection for energy costs. Almost every market in which we operate in Europe has some kind of targeted price support.”

E.ON offered a discount of 82 million pounds and a £ 72 million debt support to customers who competed last year.

The scale of debts, the price limit of this week, is a complete contrast with Labour’s claim before the election.

The government is under pressure to increase the energy efficiency of leaked houses and reduce invoices in the long run through market reforms.

Ofgem is also “working at speed iyle with the government and industry in a proposed debt evacuation plan to be finalized before the end of the year. The government has put forward plans to expand a 150 £ hot home discount to help approximately 6 million households.

Citizens Advice’s Director Gillian Cooper said that the expansion of the plan was welcomed, but it is not enough to turn the tide ”. “It is clear that the government should investigate options that support more support for low -income people with the highest energy costs, C said Cooper.

The aid organization is one of the many organizations that require support to low -income household peoples and can include a discounted social energy tariff.

Ofgem spokesman: “We know that it is not the right thing to allow households to create an unsustainable debt, and it is very important for people to pay for the energy they use because it increases the increasing debt costs for everyone.”

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