Energy customers cutting back to stay out of debt

3 February 2010

A leading energy supplier has reported that many people are using less energy than they used to.

Scottish and Southern Energy said that there was a year-on-year drop in household energy usage between 1st October 2009 and 31st January 2010. Gas consumption fell by 5% and electricity consumption fell by 4% - suggesting, according to uSwitch, that customers may be `self-rationing` to save money.

Many of those cutting back may be concerned about getting into debt on their energy accounts. In 2008, when energy prices rose sharply, many customers fell into debt on their accounts because their direct debits were not adjusted soon enough, while others struggled to afford the higher prices.

A debt expert at Think Money said: "There is a risk that energy customers could get into debt if they don`t keep their energy providers up to date. To avoid this, billpayers should provide regular meter readings to make sure they are paying for what they`re using."

Tags: debt, energy, bills, energy bill debt, bill debt, bills debt, debt with bills, in debt, uSwitch, Scottish and Southern Energy

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