The latest analysis from Ofgem shows energy debt rose by £2.8 million a day in the last six months of 2023, reaching a record figure of £3.1 billion.Ĭitizens Advice is calling for a long-term plan to tackle spiralling energy debt, including new protections for people who are in debt to their supplier. That’s why Ofgem must introduce new permanent protections to halt this worrying trend as soon as possible.” It can ruin people’s finances and plunge them further into debt. This is when people usually come to us for help, because they’ve got aggressive bailiffs knocking at the door and don’t know what to do.”ĭame Clare Moriarty, Citizens Advice chief executive, said: “Getting a CCJ can be devastating. “What’s troubling is that energy debts aren’t regulated by the Consumer Credit Act, meaning suppliers can go to the High Court quite quickly after a CCJ has been granted – at which point bailiffs can get involved. “Since rules were tightened on prepayment meters, we’ve noticed some energy suppliers are increasingly using CCJs and sending in bailiffs to force customers to pay their debts. As a result, they’ve fallen behind on energy bills and have been hit with a CCJ. It’s usually people who are struggling to make ends meet, often trying to prioritise rent and council tax. Madison Stefanuik, a debt caseworker at Citizens Advice, said: “People are coming to us about this problem more and more often. The charity is concerned this could force bill payers further into debt, since CCJs can leave people paying higher rates of interest on borrowing. Between 20 Citizens Advice saw a 30% increase in the number of people affected, but last year that number nearly doubled, jumping from 179 in 2022 to 349 in 2023. The number of customers the charity is helping with county court judgments (CCJs) issued on behalf of energy firms is increasing. Energy Update: Citizens Advice Calls For Extra Help For Struggling Customersġ0 April: Steep Rise In Legal Action Over Unpaid BillsĬitizens Advice has issued a warning about increasing levels of court action being taken against people who are behind on their energy bills. You should always check with the product provider to ensure that information provided is the most up to date. While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information at the time of publication that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Advisor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Advisor. These “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. The payments we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This comes from two main sources.įirst, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive payment from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective.
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