With energy prices set to rise by 13.5% next month and another energy debt crisis predicted to hit next winter, new figures released today reveal that UK households are already struggling to cope with the weight of energy debt.
The research by Opinium for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition reveals that three in ten (31%) UK adults are currently in debt to their energy company or worried about falling behind, increasing to over four in ten (45%) parents with a child under 18 and 35% of disabled people. Among those in energy debt, the median amount owed to an energy supplier was an £750.
Worryingly, the research indicates that people may be turning to risky borrowing practices in order to…