| Responding to Ofgem’s announcement on protecting customers and the energy market from the growing risk of debt, Daniel Portis, Deputy Director at Energy UK, said:
“Suppliers have been concerned about rising customer debt for some time so unfortunately this record figure is not a surprise after a sustained period of high energy bills and wider cost-of-living pressures.
“With customers in effect paying the same – or more – as last winter and no sign of prices returning to what they were two years ago, it seems likely this figure will continue to rise.
“Suppliers will continue to do all they can to help customers in debt with financial assistance and a range of other support but the industry cannot solve a problem of this scale on its own.
“While it is right that the regulator takes action to ensure costs are recovered, this underlines the need to put in place long-term targeted support, such as a social tariff, for those most in need – otherwise more customers are going to fall into more debt and that cost will continue to be picked up by other bill payers.” |
