Tariff trap for non-payers

THE NUMBER of UK households failing to pay their energy bills has more than tripled over the past five years, putting many at risk of being trapped on expensive tariffs.

- By Harvey Jones

In May, 2.68% of direct debit payments for energy bills failed due to insufficient funds, a sharp rise from just 0.83% in May 2020.

This 223% increase means over half a million households missed payments last month alone, new research from Money SuperMarket Energy reveals.

At the same time, the average value of these failed payments jumped from £108 to £158.51, a rise of about 47%.

While prices are starting to fall and new competitive tariffs have hit the market, customers who fall behind risk being locked out of better deals.