Overview

• Uswitch’s latest survey finds households owe a combined £780 million, with 3.5 million homes in debt and an average balance of £223 per indebted household.
• Typical credit buffers have weakened, with average bill-payer credit falling to £98 from £128 last year, leaving many without a cushion for higher winter usage.
• Ofgem reports total customer arrears exceeding £4 billion, up by more than £750 million year on year, as the price cap rose 2% on October 1 to £1,755 for a typical home.
• The regulator urges suppliers to offer tailored repayment plans and says work is under way on a debt relief scheme, while ministers expand the £150 Warm Home Discount to over six million households.
• Households report tightening behaviors, with 12% of those in debt saying they cannot afford repayments, 9% planning to move to prepayment meters, and many intending to cut usage.