Minister tells energy suppliers to do more to help households tackle unpaid bills this winter
Bosses from Great Britain’s biggest energy companies called to meeting as part of government’s debt relief plan 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…
Energy minister Polly Billington urged the leaders of Britain's largest energy suppliers to take a more proactive role in helping households with unpaid energy bills this winter. The meeting, which took place on Thursday, was part of the government's £2.5bn plan to write off the debt of about 2.4 million of the most affected households.
This is all part of a broader "circuit-breaker" strategy announced in the annual budget statement, which includes measures to tackle household energy debt that could reach £7bn by the end of the year. Energy companies, including Octopus Energy, British Gas, and EDF Energy, were told to identify customers who may be under financial strain and offer assistance like debt payment plans or referrals to debt advice services.
The government plans to modernize payment systems and make use of smart meters to make it easier for households to track their spending and avoid getting into arrears. Energy minister Billington emphasized the importance of tackling existing energy debt and preventing new debt from accumulating in the future, stating that the measures could save households about £130 on average over the next decade.
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