Energy bills forecast to rise in January

4th October 2023 Consumer Collections | #energy bills

Consultancy firm Cornwall Insight predicts that annual energy bills for a typical household are expected to rise by £73 to £1,996 in January. Under Ofgem’s energy price cap, the typical annual bill will be £1,923 between October and December, with this down from the £2,074 seen in the July through September quarter. Dr Craig Lowrey,…

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Energy bill debt rises 36%

EDF Energy has reported that the number of homes falling into debt on their energy bills has increased by 36% since the beginning of the year. The company also said standing charges on energy bills have increased by 55% since April 2021. The energy company has announced that it is boosting support for vulnerable customers…

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Eight in ten consumers struggle to break even or overspend each month

More than a quarter (26%) of UK consumers are spending more than they earn each month, according to early findings from the 2023 European Consumer Payment Report, conducted by credit management services provider Intrum. Of those overspending, the average amount was £190 a month – adding up to £2,280 a year. Another 53% said they…

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Money Statistics: September 2023

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for September 2023 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,843.8 billion at the end of July 2023. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,661 and per adult was £34,666, around 100.3% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending increased by…

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One in four concerned they won’t be able to pay their energy bills

28th September 2023 Consumer Collections | #energy

Latest data from, energy efficiency platform, Snugg has found that many people feel they are wasting money on energy bills because of their home’s poor energy efficiency. And while most would like to make their home more efficient, there is mass confusion over how and what help is available. The research found that 32% feel…

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Seven million households struggling to keep up with rent or mortgage payments

An estimated seven million households are struggling to keep up with their rent or mortgage payments, with millions more at risk of tipping into financial difficulty by the end of 2024 as they remortgage at higher rates according to analysis by Which?. A survey of 4,000 people found nearly half of households (46%) with mortgages…

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Social tariff could cut £300 from energy bills for poorest households

Introducing social tariffs has the potential to reduce the energy bills of the country’s most vulnerable by over £330 a year, at a relatively low cost to the government according to analysis from Cornwall Insight. The research says that the introduction of the October Default Tariff Cap (price cap), offering discounted deals to low-income households,…

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Ministers urged to extend energy bill support for vulnerable households

26th September 2023 Consumer Collections | #energy support

MPs on the Commons Select Committee have warned that vulnerable households face an inevitable new winter crisi ” without more help on energy bills. A report from the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee follows a quick inquiry on how the Government and energy firms can best prepare for the coming months. MPs heard of…

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Two in five uncomfortable speaking to mortgage lender or landlord about budget pressures

Housing costs are a source of concern to many, yet around two in five people would potentially feel reluctant to discuss their budget pressures with their landlord or mortgage lender, according to new research in a new poll of adults, conducted by YouGov on behalf of StepChange Debt Charity. The research found that two fifths…

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Half of working families on universal credit run out of food each month

22nd September 2023 Arrears and Recoveries |

The Trussell Trust has published new research that reveals the true and devastating consequences of the inadequacy of Universal Credit, with millions of families across the country struggling to make ends meet – including working households and disabled people. The research found that a third of working families (32%) receiving the benefit report struggling to…

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One in four people behind on at least one bill

One in four people in the UK (27%) are currently behind on at least one bill with Citizens Advice warning the situation only looks set to deteriorate in the coming months. The research estimates household debt, covering things like essential bills and benefit repayments sits at £22 billion. But the charity warns the true figure…

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One in ten fear vulnerable relatives have lost money through poor financial decisions

14th September 2023 Arrears and Recoveries | #vulnerable

Close to half (45%) of adults are concerned about the financial decision-making of their more vulnerable relatives as they get older, with one in ten (10%) saying their relatives have made poor financial decisions in the past two years resulting in some form of financial loss, according to data from a recent report by AKG,…

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Ofgem extends prepayment meter rule

14th September 2023 Consumer Collections | #energy

Ofgem has announced that energy suppliers have been banned from forcibly installing prepayment meters for people over 75 with no support in their house and homes with children aged under 2, The energy regulator has confirmed that the Code of Practice for the involuntary installation of prepayment meters (PPMs) will be made mandatory. It has…

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