Citizens Advice said on 24 August 2023 that it is helping record numbers of people with energy debt before winter has begun, and that the size of those debts is rising. The charity's research found 7.8 million people borrowed money to pay their energy bills in the first six months of 2023, and it forecasts that by the end of the year it will have seen 26% more people needing help with energy debt than in 20221.
The charity said the number of people seeking help for energy debt has more than doubled in four years, and that the average debt owed by the people it helps is now around £1,711, a third higher than in 2019. It cited an Ofgem estimate that consumers owed £2.25 billion in total energy debt1.
Citizens Advice said disabled people, single parents and low-income households earning less than £29k will be hardest hit this winter. It reported that 55% of disabled people say they are very or fairly worried about affording their energy bills in the next six months, and 77% of single parents say they are very or fairly worried about paying for energy as December approaches. It also said that despite an estimated fall in the energy price cap, the average household can expect to pay slightly more in the coming winter than between January and March 2023 if current forecasts hold1.
The charity is calling on the government to do more for people on the lowest incomes, such as providing additional support through the Warm Home Discount1.
"What we saw last winter must never be repeated. Struggling households unable to pay their energy bills, people unable to top up their prepayment meter, and record numbers coming to us for crisis support."
The charity's casework includes Natasha, who lives with her husband and children and is unable to work due to mental health problems. She said her family's energy debt is now around £8,000, that bailiffs visited over the gas and electric debt and left after finding nothing of value to take, and that "winter is going to be very hard for me and my family as we can't afford the bills now, so definitely won't be able to afford them when it gets colder"1.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| People who borrowed to pay energy bills, first half of 2023 | 7.8 million |
| Forecast rise in people seeking energy debt help by end of 2023 | 26% |
| Average energy debt owed by people Citizens Advice helps | around £1,711 |
| Total consumer energy debt (Ofgem estimate) | £2.25 billion |
| Disabled people very or fairly worried about affording energy bills in next six months | 55% |
| Single parents very or fairly worried about paying for energy by December | 77% |
Why it matters for households
Starting winter in arrears means repayments fall due at the same time as colder weather pushes up gas and electricity use, alongside other essential bills. The charity's figures indicate the pressure is concentrated among disabled people, single parents and households on lower incomes, groups it says also report higher levels of anxiety about bills1. For a household's energy independence, the practical effect is that money owed to a supplier competes with the cost of the energy being used, and the debt itself is growing rather than being cleared. The charity's call for more support through the Warm Home Discount is a request to government; no change to that scheme has been reported1.
What happens next
Citizens Advice forecasts that by the end of 2023 it will have seen 26% more people in need of help with energy debt than in 20221. It has called on the government to step in with additional bill support for the winter. No government response or decision on the Warm Home Discount has been reported1.