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Minister Urges Energy Suppliers to Do More on Unpaid Household Bills This Winter
UK energy minister presses suppliers to step up help for households with unpaid bills before winter.
Key points
- Energy suppliers' bosses met the minister at a Thursday roundtable on household energy debt.
- The debt scheme forms part of a broader strategy the chancellor set out in last month's budget statement.
- About 40% of unpaid bills build up when households move home, and the government plans landlord meter-reading duties.
Why it matters. The government believes the debt relief scheme and new prevention measures could save all households about £130 on average over the next 10 years.
At a Thursday roundtable, energy minister Polly Billington reportedly pressed the heads of Britain's largest suppliers to do more on problem debt. The government plans to spend up to £2.5bn clearing the energy debts of about 2.4 million of the hardest-hit households. Household energy debt could reach £7bn by year-end, and the average household already pays about £50 a year to cover unpaid bills.
Latest updates
Minister Urges Energy Suppliers to Do More on Unpaid Household Bills This Winter
An energy minister has told suppliers to do more to help households with unpaid bills this winter. Bosses from Great Britain's largest energy companies have been called to a meeting. The meeting is part of the government's debt relief plan. The intervention comes as households face the cost of heating during the cold months. The report does not give specific figures on the number of households in arrears. Further outcomes from the meeting have not yet been reported.
Sources
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