Story idea · Energy · UK
Ofgem's own consumer vulnerability data shows record domestic energy debt and arrears alongside a rise in the share of electricity customers repaying debt through a prepayment meter, at the same time as a further increase to the energy price cap.
Ofgem's own consumer vulnerability data shows record domestic energy debt and arrears alongside a rise in the share of electricity customers repaying debt through a prepayment meter, at the same time as a further increase to the energy price cap.
Why it matters (SupportFund's interpretation)
SupportFund's reading is that these three published figures sit together: a rising price cap, record debt, and more people repaying that debt through the least flexible payment method. That is a plausible hardship story built entirely from Ofgem's own releases.
£4.79 billion
Total domestic energy debt and arrears in the Great Britain energy market reached £4.79 billion.
Source: Ofgem — Consumer vulnerability strategy progress report
Period: Q1 2026
Last checked: 12 August 2026
View original source13%
For a typical dual-fuel Direct Debit household, Ofgem's price cap increased by 13% for the July–September 2026 cap period.
Source: Ofgem — Changes to energy price cap between 1 July and 30 September 2026
Period: 1 July–30 September 2026
Last checked: 12 August 2026
View original source40%
40% of electricity customers repaying debt did so through a prepayment meter, down from 47% one year earlier.
Source: Ofgem — Debt and arrears indicators
Period: Q1 2026
Last checked: 12 August 2026
View original sourceGreat Britain energy market · Q1 2026 · Source: Ofgem
£4.79 billion
Domestic energy debt and arrears
40%
Electricity customers repaying debt via prepayment meter
47% one year earlier.
Historical series coming soon. We will only publish a trend chart once verified quarterly Ofgem records have been imported — we do not reconstruct history.
| Measure | Value | Geography | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic energy debt and arrears | £4.79 billion | Great Britain energy market | Q1 2026 |
| Electricity customers repaying debt via prepayment meter | 40% | Great Britain energy market | Q1 2026 |
Chart: SupportFund. Source data: Ofgem. Consumer vulnerability strategy progress report. Last checked 12 August 2026. View original source
Record energy debt is the bill crisis that did not end
"Domestic energy debt has reached a record level. That is the residue of several hard winters, and it does not clear itself when the price cap moves."
Rationing energy is a health story as much as a money story
"More than a third of adults report using less energy at home. For a household with a young child, a disability or a respiratory condition, cutting heating is not a saving. One risk is that the cost lands somewhere else instead, potentially including the NHS, though SupportFund has not measured that link directly."
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