Blog
Tailoring service for prepay is more critical than ever this winter
Demand from prepayment customers is expected to rise by 50% in winter, and with affordability challenges at unprecedented levels, bespoke service is needed more than ever. We look at what's needed to address the immediate impact here, laying the foundations for a sustainable, long-term approach.
Energy bills to rise ~£800m after Winter Fuel Payment cut
Analysis from BFY Group shows the ~10m customers losing their Winter Fuel Payment will pay an additional ~£800m in energy bills this winter vs last.
Typical DD customers are ~1.7x monthly payments in credit
As we head into winter, typical Direct Debit (DD) customers are in credit by ~1.7x their monthly payment. With c.70% domestic energy customers choosing to pay by DD, payment adequacy is critical for supplier health.
Domestic energy suppliers faced £1.6 billon cash coverage deficit in June 2024
By combining Ofgem's latest data on customer credit with their recent market debt figures, BFY Group analysis shows domestic suppliers faced a £1.6bn shortfall to the target cash reserve in June 2024 - an increase of £1.4bn from 12 months before.
Domestic Energy Debt Reaches Record £3.7 Billion
Energy debt hits a new peak of £3.7 billion as of Q2 2024 as Average debt per customer rises to a record £1,094. Energy debt has continued to increase by 40% since Q2 2023 while average annualised customer bills have levelled out.
Optimising your DCA strategy to mitigate rising debt
Domestic debt keeps rising, and engaging customers through tailored journeys is crucial to take control of the situation. Refining your approach to DCAs can drive these improvements, supporting your internal efforts to better manage customer debt. We've outlined three steps here to help maximise results from your DCA relationships.
Domestic energy suppliers faced £1.9bn cash coverage deficit
By combining Ofgem's new data on customer credit with their recent market debt figures, our analysis shows domestic suppliers faced a £1.9bn shortfall to the target cash reserve in March 2024 - an increase of £1.1bn in the past 12 months.
Domestic energy debt has reached £3.3bn, up £1.1bn in a year
Ofgem have shared their Q1-24 view of domestic energy debt, reporting a total debt value of £3.3bn in the industry (54% increase since Q1-23).
Preparing third party relationships for more winter debt
Record debt levels mean high volumes of customers are likely to be sat in external collections processes. Suppliers must focus on strengthening third party performance in the build-up to winter, across the five areas covered in our framework.
Winter Preparedness - Is it time for a Debt Health Check?
Given the £bn increases in unsecured debt and Direct Debit failures over the past year, suppliers have an opportunity to re-assess how they're set up to deliver customer outcomes. Leveraging this understanding is key to take control in such a challenging macro environment - see how improvements can be brought to life in this blog.
Watch: Why bad debt is an emerging concern
Falling energy prices are welcome news, but there's an emerging concern for suppliers, surrounding their approach to forecasting bad debt as market conditions change. In this video, Rachel Littlewood shares lessons from the front line to help you recognise potential cashflow challenges.
Direct debit failures have reached an all-time high
Following on from last week’s look at the latest Ofgem debt figures, I wanted to dive deeper into the worrying number of £2.3bn of unsecured debt, up from £1.3bn a year ago.
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