Energy Debt, Arrears and Credit Balances
Ofgem reports energy debt, arrears, credit balances and prepayment self-disconnection every quarter. The figures count fuel accounts, not people: a home with both gas and electricity in debt appears in both series.
The latest figures
Debt means money being repaid under an agreed arrangement. Arrears means money owed without an arrangement. Electricity and gas remain separate below so the account totals are not mistaken for households.
Great Britain · Ofgem consumer indicators
£4.8bn owed to energy suppliers
Ofgem publishes what households owe their suppliers and what they hold in credit. These are national figures for the whole market — they say nothing about any individual account, postcode or supplier customer, and they are not advice about your own bill.
Debt and arrears owed
£4.8bn
Q1 2026 · Last-day-of-quarter stock, not money accrued during the quarter
Held in credit balances
£1.9bn
Quarter 1 2026 · fixed Direct Debit accounts only
Quarters published
33
Since 2018
Debt is money owed where a repayment arrangement is in place. Arrears is money owed where there is no arrangement. Ofgem reports these separately because they describe different situations.
Debt and arrears
Accounts repaying a debt
Accounts where the customer and supplier have agreed a repayment plan.
- Electricity accounts
- 851,701
- Gas accounts
- 709,838
1.3% up on a year earlier
1.4% up on a year earlier
Q1 2026 · Domestic accounts with a repayment arrangement
These are fuel accounts, not households. Someone with both electricity and gas in debt is counted in both figures, so the two cannot be added together to count people.
Accounts in arrears with no repayment arrangement
Money is owed but no repayment plan has been agreed.
- Electricity accounts
- 1,132,348
- Gas accounts
- 908,840
6.4% up on a year earlier
5.1% up on a year earlier
Q1 2026 · Domestic accounts in arrears with no repayment arrangement
These are fuel accounts, not households. Someone with both electricity and gas in debt is counted in both figures, so the two cannot be added together to count people.
Average debt with an arrangement
The average amount still owed on accounts with a repayment plan.
- Electricity accounts
- £828
- Gas accounts
- £679
11.9% up on a year earlier
10.6% up on a year earlier
Q1 2026 · Domestic accounts with a repayment arrangement
Average arrears without an arrangement
The average amount owed where no repayment plan has been agreed.
- Electricity accounts
- £1,876
- Gas accounts
- £1,623
9.5% up on a year earlier
9.1% up on a year earlier
Q1 2026 · Domestic accounts in arrears with no repayment arrangement
Credit balances
Spread of credit balances
Balances on fixed Direct Debit accounts. A quarter are below the lower figure and a quarter are above the upper figure.
- Lower quartile
- £135
- Median
- £172
- Upper quartile
- £205
9.8% up on a year earlier
3.0% up on a year earlier
4.7% down on a year earlier
Quarter 1 2026 · Distribution across live fixed Direct Debit domestic accounts
Credit commonly builds in summer and falls in winter. If your balance remains high after winter, submit a meter reading and ask your supplier to review your payment or refund the excess.
Prepayment self-disconnection
Customers affected
Prepayment customers whose supply stopped at least once after their credit ran out.
- Total Number of Electricity customers self-disconnecting at least once
- 510,393
- Total Number of Electricity customers self-disconnecting at least once for more than 3 hours
- 279,430
- Total Number of Gas customers self-disconnecting at least once
- 426,505
- Total Number of Gas customers self-disconnecting at least once for more than 3 hours
- 325,140
36.0% down on a year earlier
38.2% down on a year earlier
36.1% down on a year earlier
35.7% down on a year earlier
Q1 2026 · Largest eight PPM suppliers before Q3 2023, all suppliers from Q3 2023
Ofgem collected this from the largest eight prepayment suppliers before Q3 2023 and from all suppliers afterwards, so part of any increase across that point is wider reporting rather than more households.
Total events
Every occurrence is counted, so one customer can appear more than once.
- Electricity accounts
- 1,661,980
- Gas accounts
- 1,565,004
35.3% down on a year earlier
36.1% down on a year earlier
Q1 2026 · Every occurrence counted, unlike the customers measure which counts a person once
Ofgem collected this from the largest eight prepayment suppliers before Q3 2023 and from all suppliers afterwards, so part of any increase across that point is wider reporting rather than more households.
Source: Ofgem — Debt and arrears indicators. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Source: Ofgem — Customer credit balances. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Where to get help
Contact your supplier early and ask for an affordable repayment plan. You can also get free, independent help from Citizens Advice.
- Citizens Advice is the statutory consumer body for energy.
- Your supplier’s support team can discuss payment plans and any hardship support it offers.
- The Priority Services Register offers extra support to people who need it. Ask your supplier whether you can join.
If you are thinking about moving supplier while you owe money, read switching suppliers while in debt first — it is often possible and the rules are more generous than most people expect. If the problem is how a supplier has handled you rather than the money itself, the official complaints figures show how each one performs, and our supplier reviews go through them one by one.
Frequently asked questions
How many people are in debt to their energy supplier?
Ofgem publishes the number of fuel accounts in debt or arrears each quarter, split into those repaying under an arrangement and those in arrears without one. Because a household with both gas and electricity in arrears is counted twice, the account totals are not a count of people or homes.
What is the difference between debt and arrears?
Ofgem treats an account as in debt when the customer is repaying under an agreed arrangement, and in arrears without an arrangement when money is owed and no repayment plan is in place. The second group is the more worrying: it means the supplier and customer have not yet agreed how the balance will be cleared.
Can my energy supplier cut me off if I owe them money?
Disconnection for non-payment is a last resort and is rare, with strong protections for households with children, pensioners and anyone with a relevant health condition. Suppliers must offer an affordable repayment plan before taking action, and Ofgem publishes the disconnection figures each quarter.
Why do suppliers hold so much of my money in credit?
Fixed monthly Direct Debit spreads a bill that is far higher in winter across twelve equal payments, so a balance builds over summer and is drawn down over winter. A credit balance in September is normal. One still large in March, after a winter of use, usually means the monthly payment is set too high.
Can I get an energy credit balance refunded?
Yes. If your account is in credit and your meter readings are up to date, you can ask your supplier to refund the balance, and most will do it on request. Bear in mind that if the credit is there to cover the coming winter, taking it out means higher payments later.
