As most people are aware the personal debt issue in the UK has spiralled out of control, with many people that have accrued debts such as credit cards, loans, and other forms of personal debt. However, it has recently been revealed that many also owe a lot of money to energy firms, with the soaring costing of energy leaving many unable to afford their bills.

The rising cost of living in general, along with factors such as a cut in income or welfare, job losses, and increasing outgoings, has left many people struggling to keep on top of their bills. Energy prices in particular have soared and with the last couple of winters having been so bitterly cold this has resulted in a rising number of people being unable to pay their bills.

It has been revealed that many people are now in debt to energy firms, with a total of £624 million owed to these firms. It is thought that the average amount owed by households is around £126 each. The data comes from the comparison site uswitch.com. Nearly 40 percent of energy customers said that they owed more to their energy firm now compared to last year. Just 14 percent said that they owed less compared to last year.

One uswitch official said: “Energy debt can be a catch-22. Despite knowing they could reduce their bills by moving to a cheaper energy plan, consumers can see debt as a barrier to switching. However, our research shows that while the average debt is £126, consumers could save up to £458 by switching. So while they may have to pay any outstanding debt to switch, by cutting the cost of their energy they could avoid falling back in to debt in the future.”