New research by the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol, in partnership with Ofgem and StepChange Debt Charity has highlighted the critical role that effective referrals from energy suppliers to free debt advice can play in supporting households with energy debt, and where the energy sector can do more to protect vulnerable customers.
The research, which analyses three years of StepChange client data alongside a survey and qualitative interviews with StepChange clients with energy debt, reveals a high level of financial vulnerability. Nearly half (47%) of StepChange clients with energy debt reported being on the Priority Services Register (PSR).
Four in ten (42%) survey respondents had…