Energy debts owed by 5.5m Brits

11 March 2010

Written by Steve Olejnik

Buy to let landlords and tenants could be among the 5.5 million residents in the UK that are in debt to energy suppliers.

According to research from uSwitch.com, there has been a 16 per cent increase in the average energy bill debt over the past two years.

Some £728 million is now owed by tenants and property owners to their suppliers.

Each person has an average debt of £132, which is up five per cent since last year.

This could be due to the fact that household energy bills surged in 2008 to 42 per cent higher than they had been. In 2009 this dropped by just four per cent.

Director of consumer policy at the firm Ann Robinson said the impact of the huge hike and consequent small drop "cannot be underestimated".

"We are entering an era of high cost energy. Households will have to adapt if they are to protect themselves from spiralling energy bills," she advised.

Earlier this week the organisation announced that npower will cut its gas prices by seven per cent later this month, which could go some way towards easing buy to let owners and tenants' bills.

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