Energy minister Polly Billington instructed major utility firms, including British Gas and EDF Energy, to proactively identify struggling customers and establish viable payment schedules. The joint government and industry strategy aims to wipe out substantial arrears and save consumers roughly £130 over the coming decade through modernized payment systems. Additionally, new rules will require landlords to supply meter readings during tenant changeovers to stop moving-related debt from quietly accumulating.
Key points
Energy suppliers must actively seek out strained customers to arrange manageable payment…: Energy suppliers must actively seek out strained customers to arrange manageable payment plans and direct them to support services.
Total household energy debt across Great Britain is projected to reach £7bn by the end of…: Total household energy debt across Great Britain is projected to reach £7bn by the end of the year.
State debt relief alongside targeted supplier actions is expected to deliver average hous…: State debt relief alongside targeted supplier actions is expected to deliver average household savings of £130 over the next decade.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
An energy minister has told the bosses of Great Britain’s biggest energy suppliers to do more to help households get on top of their unpaid energy bills this winter, before the government spends almost £2.5bn to help write off the country’s record high debts.
Energy bosses were summoned to a roundtable meeting on Thursday to discuss the government’s plan to pay down the energy debts of about 2.4m of the hardest-hit households.
The debt relief scheme is part of a wider “circuit-breaker” strategy put forward by the chancellor in the annual budget statement last month. This includes measures to tackle household energy debt, which could reach £7bn by the end of the year.
The minister for energy consumers, Polly Billington, is understood to have told bosses from energy companies including Octopus Energy, British Gas and EDF Energy that suppliers would still need to play a “crucial role” in tackling the longstanding issue of problem debt alongside the government’s multibillion-pound support package.
Suppliers are expected to proactively identify customers who may be under financial strain and offer help such as debt…
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