The End Fuel Poverty Coalition published Opinium research on 1 June 2026 showing that three in ten (31%) UK adults are in debt to their energy company or worried about falling behind, with the share rising to 45% of parents with a child under 18 and 35% of disabled people1. Among those in energy debt, the median amount owed to a supplier was £7501. Opinium interviewed 2,000 UK adults aged 18 and over between 29 May and 1 June 2026; 9% were behind on payments, which the Coalition equates to around 5 million people nationally, and a further 22%, around 12 million, were worried about falling behind1.
The research records the measures people in arrears have taken over the previous 12 months. Just under a third (32%) used less energy by turning the heating off or taking shorter showers, 25% kept the home colder or warmer than is comfortable, and 21% missed rent or mortgage payments1. More than one in five (21%) had skipped meals and 18% had used a foodbank to cope with energy costs or arrears1. One in eight (13%) of those in energy debt or worried about missing payments said they owe money to someone who makes them feel scared, rising to a quarter (24%) of those already in arrears1.
Experiences of supplier support were mixed. Of those in arrears, 15% had been referred to a hardship fund and 15% were on a repayment plan, while 13% reported no contact from their supplier in the past 12 months1. Fewer than one in five (18%) felt they had been treated fairly and 8% had been referred to debt advice1. On health, 22% of those in energy debt said bills or arrears had affected their mental health, 19% reported physical health impacts, 21% reported sleepless nights and 14% said it had affected their children's health and wellbeing1.
The Coalition states that UK energy industry profits reached £3 billion in the first three months of this year alone, which it calculates as £102 per household, and that energy prices are set to rise by 13.5% next month1. Campaigners have written to Ofgem to demand mandatory debt collection standards introduced without delay, including a requirement to refer customers in energy debt to debt advice within a defined timeframe, alongside a publicly accessible supplier performance dashboard1. The letter also calls for the Debt Relief Scheme to be funded through energy company windfall profits and general taxation rather than a levy on consumer bills1.
"These figures lay bare the true cost of years of failure to fix energy debt caused by the sharp increases in bills."
| Measure among those in energy debt | Share |
|---|---|
| Used less energy | 32% |
| Kept home colder or warmer than comfortable | 25% |
| Missed rent or mortgage payments | 21% |
| Skipped meals | 21% |
| Used a foodbank | 18% |
| No contact with supplier in past 12 months | 13% |
| Referred to debt advice by supplier | 8% |
Why it matters for households
Energy debt is a claim on future income, and the figures describe how households service it: by cutting consumption, running homes outside comfortable temperatures and, for a fifth, diverting money from rent or mortgage payments. Each of those choices reduces a household's control over its own energy use, because the saving comes from doing less rather than from using less to do the same. The energy debt and arrears statistics page sets out how these numbers are compiled, and the typical domestic consumption values explain the benchmark behind bill figures. Where a supplier has not been in contact, the route for challenging a bill is set out in how to complain about a back bill from your energy supplier, and grant support is described under the British Gas Energy Trust. The relationship between bill levels and household energy independence is examined in Energy Bills and Energy Independence, and the wider data picture in what the data says about household energy independence.
What happens next
Energy prices are set to rise by 13.5% next month, according to the Coalition1. Campaigners have written to Ofgem's new chief executive, Tim Jarvis, seeking mandatory debt collection standards, a defined timeframe for referring customers to debt advice, a publicly accessible supplier performance dashboard, and funding of the Debt Relief Scheme through windfall profits and general taxation rather than consumer bills1. The Coalition describes the Debt Relief Scheme as long-promised; no launch date is given in the research1.