Citizens Advice reported that the number of people it helped with fuel vouchers dropped in February 2024, after it helped a record number of people who could not afford to top up their prepayment meter in January 20241. The charity attributed the February fall to a combination of the £299 February Cost of Living payments and the warmest February on record1.
The January record came as "record numbers struggle with rising energy prices and the cold weather", the charity said2. It added that 2024 is currently tracking slightly below 2023, but is still much higher than at the same point in all other years1. In 2022, Citizens Advice saw more people who could not afford to top up their prepayment meter than in the whole of the previous ten years combined, and 2023 was higher still1.
"As a result of the £299 February Cost of Living payments and the warmest February on record, the number of people we were helping with fuel vouchers dropped in February."
Energy debt moved in the opposite direction. The charity said February 2024 was yet another record month for the number of people it was helping with an energy debt issue, and that energy debt is now the leading debt issue it helps people with across most of the country1. Before the pandemic, council tax arrears were the most common form of debt, followed by credit, store and charge card debts; that has now changed as energy costs rise1. Rent arrears has consistently been the dominant debt issue in Greater London1.
The charity also reported that of the people it helped with energy issues in 2023, over 50% needed help with crisis support such as food bank referrals or emergency charitable support1. It said the high proportion of people with a disability or long-term health condition who cannot afford to top up is particularly concerning because of the increased risk of significant physical and mental harm for these groups1. It added that it is helping record numbers of people with practical energy efficiency advice1.
| Measure | Direction reported |
|---|---|
| Fuel voucher help, February 2024 | Dropped, after a record January1 |
| Prepayment meter top-up help, January 2024 | Record number helped1 |
| Energy debt help, February 2024 | Record month1 |
| Energy efficiency advice | Record numbers helped1 |
Why it matters for households
For a household on a prepayment meter, being unable to top up means the supply can stop. The charity's figures show that demand for that kind of crisis help is still far above pre-2022 levels even in a month when it fell1. The February fall was tied to two temporary factors: a one-off £299 payment and mild weather, neither of which changes the underlying cost of energy. The charity said that despite energy prices falling in recent months, they remain at historically high levels1.
Energy debt is the more durable problem. Once arrears build, they sit alongside the ongoing cost of supply, and the charity reports that energy debt has displaced council tax and card debt as the leading debt issue across most of the country1. For a home trying to reduce its exposure to price swings, the charity's separate finding that it is helping record numbers with practical energy efficiency advice points to where households are looking for lasting reductions in what they use1. Details of grants and schemes are set out separately.
What happens next
Citizens Advice said 2024 is currently tracking slightly below 2023 on prepayment meter top-up problems, but still much higher than at this point in all other years1. No further dated steps were reported.
Sources2 cited
- Energy data - Citizens Advice, citizensadvice.org.uk
- Energy data - Citizens Advice, citizensadvice.org.uk