Half of Brits in the North West cannot afford to pay their bills

Almost half of people living in the North West can’t afford to pay their household bills, a new study has found. 

A substantial 46% of people living in the region are concerned that they will not be able to meet their next fuel payment as personal debt starts to mount up. 

This comes at a time when all six of the leading energy suppliers announced price cuts of up to 6% on either gas or electricity. 

This offers little comfort to struggling households across the country though. Those in the North West are finding it particularly hard. 

According to the Citizens Advice, 46% of people in the North West are worried they can’t pay the next fuel bill. 

As part of the recent Big Energy Week 16^th- 21^st Jan, they found that 53% of people living in the North West have the heating on less than before in order to cut the cost of energy bills.  

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“We’re worried that some people are struggling unnecessarily because they’re not on the best deal; live in homes that haemorrhage heat or are not getting all of the financial help available to them,” said Citizens Advice Chief Executive, Gillian Guy. 

Mike O’Connor, Chief Executive of Consumer Focus, commented on the Big Energy Week, which took place last week. 

‘Energy bills are over 20% higher than at the start of last winter and around twelve million people are living in fuel poverty,” stated O’Connor. 

“Energy prices are one of the biggest issues many consumers face with average bills of more than £100 per month. Some people have to cut back on their heating or other essentials to make ends meet.”

If you are concerned about your energy bill here are a few tips to reduce your bills. 

Tip 1

If there is a problem or your bill is unusually high, contact your provider as soon as possible. 

Tip 2

Consider exactly what you want to say before calling them, have the bill in front of you and take down the name of the person you are talking as well as the time and date as you may need to refer to it later. 

Tip 3

Look at your meter and write down your current reading. 

Tip 4

Ask your provider to put the disputed bill on hold. This means you don’t have to pay for the time whilst it’s being investigated. 

Tip 5

If a problem is not sorted out within eight weeks you could make a formal complaint to an independent watchdog such as the energy ombudsman.

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Call now on 0844 826 2537 and see how much you could save!

Moneyextra.com recommends you take independent financial advice before acting on any article

2012-02-02 09:48:07 © Moneyextra.com