UK households already owe £1.3bn to energy companies two months before bills are set to surge by more than 80%. The overall debt bill is already three times higher than it was a year ago, according to experts at Uswitch, and it seems likely it will grow further over the winter.
Six million homes across the UK owe an average of £206 to their energy provider, a survey by the company has revealed. In April, the same average debt was £188. Normally at this time of year people have built up credit to help even out the increased bills during the colder months.
Regulator Ofgem is expected to hike the price cap on energy bills to £3,582 per year for the average UK household from the beginning of October, according to a new forecast. Analysts at Cornwall Insight predicted further rises, to £4,266 in January and then £4,427 from the start of April.
