New Ofgem figures show that household energy debt has surged to £4.43 billion – more than triple the level before the energy crisis began. The number of customers in arrears is also climbing, with over a million households in debt without a repayment plan.
This comes after the End Fuel Poverty Coalition revealed that 12.1 million households across the UK are now struggling with energy bills, with almost five million spending more than 20% of their income just on heat and power.
Meanwhile, the latest Ofgem price cap increase takes effect this week, lifting the typical annual bill to £1,755. With debts rising, millions in fuel poverty, and no sign of bills returning to pre-crisis levels, campaigners argue that urgent structural reforms are now unavoidable.
Energy was a major theme at the Labour Party Conference, where pledges were made to reduce bills through new investment in renewables and a national programme of home upgrades. But against the backdrop of record debt and rising poverty, campaigners warn that promises must be matched with immediate action to protect those hardest hit this winter.
At Campaign Collective, we coordinate the End Fuel Poverty Coalition and other campaigns to shine a light on the real impact of the energy crisis. Our work helps to ensure that the voices of those most affected – pensioners going to bed in coats, parents forced to choose between food and heating, and households trapped in unpayable debt – are heard in the national conversation.
As the debt crisis worsens, the message is clear: households cannot afford more delay. Action is needed now to deliver relief, cut bills for good, and end the injustice of fuel poverty.