Ofgem announces new proposals as energy debt rises to £2.9bn

Ofgem has announced that energy debt has reached £2.9 billion and may look to recover this by raising the price cap and increasing energy bills. The energy regulator says that the scale of energy debt means that they must take action to protect market and ensure customers are protected from uncontrolled rises This follows an…

Read more

Energy firms will now start to help struggling customers as new rules begin

15th December 2023 Consumer Collections | #energy bills

New rules which mean that energy suppliers will now have to help struggling customers with their energy bills have now come into effect. Energy regulator says the new rules will make it easier for domestic customers to contact their supplier, help provide support for domestic customers who are struggling with their energy billsand compel suppliers…

Read more

Ofwat outlines vulnerability plans from water companies

15th December 2023 Consumer Collections | #vulnerability

Water regulator, Ofwat has set out expectations for the minimum standards water companies should provide for all customers, specifically recognising vulnerable householders. The new vulnerability guidance recognises that some customers need extra help to access water and wastewater services, such as those who are sick, have a disability or have mental health problems. It will…

Read more

Water bill support missed by two million households

14th December 2023 Consumer Collections | #water bills

Millions of eligible householders are not receiving financial support that is available through their water company due to low awareness, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). The water watchdog has urged low-income households are not to miss out on financial support from their water company to help absorb the impact of looming energy…

Read more

6.5 million will struggle to heat homes at Christmas 

6th December 2023 Consumer Collections | #energy

6.5 million people in the UK (14 percent) will struggle to heat their homes as much as they need this Christmas due to the impact of the cost of living, according to findings from National Debtline. The findings show 2.7 million people (5 percent) are having to choose between buying food or presents and four…

Read more

2023 Credit & Collections Technology Think Tank review

Credit Connect hosted its third in-person Credit & Collections Technology Think Tank in mid-November in Manchester which saw credit and collections strategies and the impact of the cost of living discussed by sixteen professionals from a variety of industry sectors at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. The themes of cost of living impacting customer engagement,…

Read more

Money Statistics: November 2023

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for November 2023 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,845.6 billion at the end of September 2023. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,724 and per adult was £34,700, around 100.7% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending decreased by…

Read more

Ofgem announces 5% energy price cap increase

Energy regulator Ofgem has announced that the energy price cap will increase by 5% on the previous quarter from 1st January to 31st March 2024. The cost for an average household paying by direct debit for dual fuel equates to £1,928, a rise of £94 over the course of a year – around £7.83 a…

Read more

Energy price cap forecast to rise by five per cent

Latest Cornwall Insight’s analysis has suggested that the energy price cap is expected increase by five percent in the first quarter of next year, before declining from the end of March. Based on it;s analysis, for a typical dual fuel household, it has predicted that the Q1 2024 price cap will be £1,931, this is…

Read more

Ofgem launches standing charges fees consultation

Ofgem has announced a call for input on the ‘standing charge’ – how it is applied to energy bills and what alternatives could be considered. The standing charge is a daily charge that you pay your energy supplier each day to cover fixed costs of providing gas and electricity, regardless of how much energy you…

Read more

Quarter of people report receiving incorrect utility bills when moving home

7th November 2023 Consumer Collections |

Despite best efforts by utility providers, 25% of people report to be receiving more than 10 incorrect utility bills when moving home. This is causing a knock-on effect in the industry as one in five customers would consider leaving their utility provider if they were billed incorrectly, and more than one in 10 people have…

Read more

Energy price cap forecasted to remain above current level until end of 2024

Forecasts for the 2024 Default Tariff Cap (price cap) have risen in response to growing volatility in the global wholesale energy market according to Cornwall Insights. Latest predictions, place a typical1 dual fuel consumer’s January energy bill at £1,923 per year, with a small rise to £1,929 in April 2024. While already predicted to increase in…

Read more

Money Statistics: October 2023

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for October 2023 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,846.5 billion at the end of August 2023. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,756 and per adult was £34,716, around 100.4% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending increased by…

Read more