The proportion of StepChange clients in arrears on dual fuel bills reached 57% in May 2023, the debt charity reported in its monthly client data report for that month1. That is six percentage points higher than January 2023 and May 2022, when the figure stood at 51% in each month, among clients with responsibility for paying that bill type1.
The charity said 15,483 clients accessed full debt advice in May 2023, higher than the same month in previous years, including May 2022 (14,393) and May 2021 (12,459)1. Its website had 315,000 users in May 2023, unchanged month on month1.
A "cost of living increase" remained the most common reason given for debt, rising by eleven percentage points between May 2022 (16%) and May 2023 (27%)1. The share of clients receiving Universal Credit rose by three percentage points between April (35%) and May 2023, to 38%1. In May 2023, three in five clients (60%) were in some form of employment, four percentage points higher than May 2022 (56%)1.
| Measure | May 2022 | January 2023 | May 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clients in dual fuel bill arrears | 51% | 51% | 57% |
| Cost of living increase cited as reason for debt | 16% | Not reported | 27% |
| Clients in receipt of Universal Credit | Not reported | Not reported | 38% (April 2023: 35%) |
The report covers new clients who first received debt advice in May 2023, so the arrears figure describes that group rather than all UK households1. The report does not give a cash amount for the arrears, a breakdown by nation or region, or a figure for the number of clients behind on dual fuel bills, and none of these has been reported1.
Why it matters for households
The figures describe people who approached StepChange for debt advice in May 2023 and who were responsible for paying a dual fuel bill. For that group, being in arrears on gas and electricity was more common in May 2023 than at the start of that year or a year earlier1. Households in this position may be dealing with a supplier over a repayment arrangement, and the charity's separate guidance covers energy and water bill arrears alongside other debt problems.
The report also indicates that more of the charity's new clients were in work in May 2023 than a year before, and that a rising share were receiving Universal Credit1. Both are background to how household budgets were faring at the time, though the report does not link them directly to the arrears figure.
What happens next
StepChange publishes this data as a monthly series, and the May 2023 report is the latest in that series1. No date for a subsequent report is given in the May 2023 publication1.
Sources1 cited
- Monthly Client Data Report. May 2023. StepChange stepchange.org
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