Energy bills put Brits at risk of debt and repossession

Fri, 08 Jul 2011

The high cost of energy in the UK could be putting many Brits in danger of debt or even repossession .

According to new data, 6.3 million households - roughly one in four families - are now classed as fuel poor. The uSwitch figures show that it is not just pensioners and those on low incomes that are suffering, with the more affluent middle classes now struggling with crippling electricity and gas bills.

There have been suggestions that fuel poverty be re-defined to be calculated after housing costs and the online resource revealed that if this occurs then the number would be closer to nine million - a third of all British households.

Almost two in five (39 per cent) single working parents are in fuel poverty - making them the most at-risk group outside working class pensioners (44 per cent).

Meanwhile, 36 per cent of working class families and 15 per cent of middle class households are currently struggling to avoid debt due to high fuel bills.

In other news, uSwitch recently reported that the typical university graduate will spend 11 years paying off their student debt.

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