Northamptonshire charity 'overwhelmed' helping people with energy bills
Citizens Advice say they’ve seen more people needing help with energy bills this month
A charity in Northamptonshire is telling us they feel overwhelmed by the number of people needing help with energy bills and debt this month.
Citizens Advice are urging the energy regulator, Ofgem to do more to protect customers as soaring energy costs drive billing issues.
“Very overstretched”
They average household is having to absorb a 1.2% increase to their bill as of January 1 and another 3% hike forecast from April, according to the charity.
Pat Coomber-Wood, CEO of the Citizens Advice Cherwell branch, said: “People have been through the festive season and there are lots of expenses associated with that.
“This is also one of the coldest times of the year. So, energy is something that people are utilising a bit more. So, January is a really tough time for people.”
The charity warns that they are “very overstretched”.
Ms Coomber-Wood says, “I would really encourage people, if you can't get through to us straight away, please be patient.
“We do tend to prioritise the most urgent cases first, so we will endeavour our best to help people.”
Ms Coomber-Wood shares her advice around energy bills: “Think about your budget, think about where you can make savings.
“Of course, if it's practical and if it's possible for you to reduce your energy usage, that's good, but don't put your health or your life at risk. Don't sit in a very cold house that you know it potentially means that you'll be vulnerable to health problems.”
"Budgets are on a knife-edge"
Billing issues were the single most common type of issue that Citizens Advice consumer service advisers encountered, it said.
The charity said it was "crucial" that suppliers were billed correctly, meaning providing consumers with accurate and regular bills which they could easily understand in order to make informed decisions about their energy consumption and costs.
Citizens Advice has called for reforms to billing rules, including limiting firms to back-bill customers to six months for those with smart meters, down from the current 12 months.
It also wants better enforcement from Ofgem where suppliers fail to meet billing standards.
Alex Belsham-Harris, head of energy policy at Citizens Advice, said: "Day in, day out our advisers support people whose budgets are on a knife-edge. Incorrect charges and large, surprise catch-up bills threaten to push these families into financial crisis.
"Consumers simply can't afford to pick up the tab when something goes wrong, and the onus shouldn't be on them to make up for companies' billing errors.
"The regulator, Ofgem, must act to protect consumers by limiting back-billing to curb the amount customers can be charged.
"It should also raise service standards, so people struggling with billing issues get the help they need."
A spokesperson for Ofgem said: "Customers should not be spending hours rectifying incorrect bills or worrying about demands for money they don't owe.
"It is a supplier's responsibility to fix billing issues quickly and handle complaints effectively, and we have secured millions of pounds in redress and compensation where they have failed to do this.
"Last year we announced our intention to review the rules around billing accuracy and supplier billing practices, including back billing rules, as part of our consumer confidence programme.
"We have also set out proposals to reset the debt, and reform the system so customers receive a higher standard of support from their supplier when they are struggling."
A Government spokesperson said: "Every family in the country has paid the price of Britain's dependence on global fossil fuel markets. That is why we are sprinting to clean, homegrown energy, so the UK can take back control of its energy with cleaner, affordable power.
"We will repair Great Britain's retail energy market and deliver real change to ensure people have the best possible support to choose more affordable, smarter, clean energy that is right for them."