Brits owe more than £580m in energy debts - 05/03/2012
People in the UK owe more than £580 million to their electricity and gas providers, it has been revealed.
New figures from Ofgem show around 875,000 electricity customers and 810,000 gas users were in debt to their supplier at some point between July and September 2011, the Daily Mirror reports.
The average amount owed was £354 for electricity and £337 for gas, with over 130,000 gas customers owing at least £600.
It was suggested the number of individuals in large amounts of debt may be set to spiral, as electricity users owing between £300 and £600 rose by 38 per cent in the previous 12 months, while the figures cover the period prior to the major domestic energy suppliers announcing large price hikes.
It was also revealed last week by the Institute for Public Policy Research that up to five million customers may be paying more than necessary for their energy.
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