Energy news in general

Sea_Shell

Just read on BBC 

"However a period of high prices - which analysts say is likely to continue - means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas"

Average?!?    That seems ridiculously high.  Almost 2 years in arrears for dual fuel.

Is this because they aren't allowed to cut people off?  Does it ever get paid back?

MikeJXE

Sea_Shell said:

Just read on BBC 

"However a period of high prices - which analysts say is likely to continue - means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas"

Average?!?    That seems ridiculously high.  Almost 2 years in arrears for dual fuel.

Is this because they aren't allowed to cut people off?  Does it ever get paid back?

If it does who pays it ?

victor2

Sea_Shell said:

Just read on BBC 

"However a period of high prices - which analysts say is likely to continue - means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas"

Average?!?    That seems ridiculously high.  Almost 2 years in arrears for dual fuel.

Is this because they aren't allowed to cut people off?  Does it ever get paid back?

You can twist "statistics" to support pretty much anything. Sadly, even the BBC seems to be going for clickbait type statements these days.

MattMattMattUK

Sea_Shell said:

Just read on BBC 

"However a period of high prices - which analysts say is likely to continue - means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The BBC quotes a figure of 26 million households, but there are actually 28.4 million. Based on those figures:
If 26 million households then the average debt per household is £142
If 28.4 million households then the average debt per household is £130

Sea_Shell said:

"The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas"

Average?!?    That seems ridiculously high.  Almost 2 years in arrears for dual fuel.

Is this because they aren't allowed to cut people off?  Does it ever get paid back?

Those figures would seem to align with what I have seen quoted in various forms elsewhere and yes it is largely because they are not allowed to cut people off. There are also serial non-payers who will move every year and never pay for energy. How the actual figure plays out, at any one time a group of households will owe money to the energy suppliers, that sits as a chunk of the £3.7 billion figure. The household in arrears figure is debt that does not usually get paid back, energy suppliers write off around £1.3 billion per year in unrecoverable debts from households, charities pay off around £55 million per year separate from that but still funded by the energy suppliers. 

The sad reality is that costs those of us who pay around £60 a year, shoplifting costs each household around £100 per year increased costs, insurance fraud costs each household around £80 per year in additional premiums, benefit fraud costs around £90 per household on average, but costs over £200 in additional taxes for those of us who are not net recipients of benefits, multiple other things have costs that get passed on to those who actually pay. 

MattMattMattUK

victor2 said:

Sea_Shell said:

Just read on BBC 

"However a period of high prices - which analysts say is likely to continue - means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas"

Average?!?    That seems ridiculously high.  Almost 2 years in arrears for dual fuel.

Is this because they aren't allowed to cut people off?  Does it ever get paid back?

You can twist "statistics" to support pretty much anything. Sadly, even the BBC seems to be going for clickbait type statements these days.

I cannot see how that is clickbait or twisting statistics. 

victor2

MattMattMattUK said:

victor2 said:

Sea_Shell said:

Just read on BBC 

"However a period of high prices - which analysts say is likely to continue - means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas"

Average?!?    That seems ridiculously high.  Almost 2 years in arrears for dual fuel.

Is this because they aren't allowed to cut people off?  Does it ever get paid back?

You can twist "statistics" to support pretty much anything. Sadly, even the BBC seems to be going for clickbait type statements these days.

I cannot see how that is clickbait or twisting statistics. 

The average household on variable direct debit owes nothing. The average household on a fixed rate tariff will be in credit at this time of year...

pfpf

i just read "The average household in arrears" so assumed the figures related to households in debt, not total households.

MattMattMattUK

victor2 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

victor2 said:

Sea_Shell said:

Just read on BBC 

"However a period of high prices - which analysts say is likely to continue - means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas"

Average?!?    That seems ridiculously high.  Almost 2 years in arrears for dual fuel.

Is this because they aren't allowed to cut people off?  Does it ever get paid back?

You can twist "statistics" to support pretty much anything. Sadly, even the BBC seems to be going for clickbait type statements these days.

I cannot see how that is clickbait or twisting statistics. 

The average household on variable direct debit owes nothing. The average household on a fixed rate tariff will be in credit at this time of year...

The average person has less than two legs, I still do not see your point. 

It says the average household in arrears, not the average household. I agree it is lacking any useful information as with all BBC news it has been hugely dumbed down, but that is so the average member of the public has even a very small chance of understanding it. 

MattMattMattUK

pfpf said:

i just read "The average household in arrears" so assumed the figures related to households in debt, not total households.

Not just in debt, one can be in debt without being in arrears, these are people who are refusing to pay, not those who just have a seasonal debt, one month or one bill of debt. 

StevieD54

I’m confused. Last week, the MSE Energy Club prediction was that over the next year, if I do nothing, I’ll pay -1% than I am paying today. Now it’s suddenly become +2%. Where did that +7% jump in April come from?