1 in 3 ‘risk energy debt’

Almost a third of consumers are risking debt as they never check their energy bills for accuracy, comparison site uSwitch has claimed.

A recent report, based on the responses of almost 5,500 energy customers, has revealed that 30% never check their energy bills for accuracy, while only 21% check them by double-checking against meter readings and past bills.

People who do not take these steps, the press release states, ‘risk overpaying or underpaying on their energy, with the latter potentially leading them into debt.’

‘This could cause energy debt to spiral,’ it continues, adding that: ‘At the last count there were 6.8 million households in debt to their energy supplier and the average debt was £114 – enough to prevent consumers from being able to switch suppliers.’

“Keeping a close eye on expenditure is an essential part of budgeting,” said a debt management expert for Gregory Pennington.

“Since energy bills take up a significant portion of the average household’s budget, this is a particularly important area to monitor – if people don’t realise they’re not paying enough, they can soon find they’ve unintentionally built up arrears with their energy supplier.”

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