Almost half of GB adults worried about paying energy bills, as debt advice charity highlights ‘urgent need’ for a social tariff

^{20 April 2026}

New research from StepChange Debt Charity estimates that almost half of GB adults, approximately 24 million people, are currently worried about their energy bills. Polling conducted by YouGov in April found that:

• Almost one in two (45%) GB adults were worried about their ability to pay energy bills over the next six months, which marks a significant increase from when the same question was polled in January, when it stood at 29%.
• What’s more, in the last three months, almost three in five (58%) GB adults have personally taken action to try and reduce spending on their energy bill – which climbs to three in four (74%) among those worried about their ability to pay energy bills.
• Over one in four (28%) adults in England and Wales, approximately 14 million, are worried about their ability to pay their water bills. Two in five (41%) of those with a water meter have personally taken action to try and reduce their water spending; around two in five of those cutting back had respectively reduced how often they shower or bathe (43%) or cut down on clothes or bedding washing (39%).

This comes as StepChange publishes new research looking at the affordability of energy and water, as the significant increase in household bills and arrears since the pandemic drives financial insecurity and problem debt, whilst incomes fail to keep pace, and households expect further shocks down the track as a result of the Middle East crisis.

Plugging the Gap draws on client and debt advisor experiences, data, and polling to analyse affordability pressures around energy and water and makes the case for a tiered national social tariff for both these sectors, to better protect the most vulnerable households while also mitigating the potential for steep eligibility cliff edges.

Vikki Brownridge, Chief Executive Officer at StepChange Debt Charity, said:“Making ends meet is getting harder – household essentials like energy and water are becoming increasingly unaffordable and are driving problem debt at alarming rates. Where people once commonly came to us after a life shock and emergency borrowing, more often we have clients telling us they simply cannot afford the cost of living as cumulative rises and historic arrears cripple budgets.”“These pressures are acute amongst our client base but also feature in the country at large, and the coming moment demands action from the Government, with urgent need for tiered national social tariffs across both water and energy, designed to plug the gap, so that those in need of support can access it, preventing problem debt before it takes hold”

Alistair (67), a retired teacher and StepChange client facing energy pressures, said:“When I became a pensioner —and having worked all my life - I never imagined I’d be struggling to pay my energy bills. At times I had to use credit cards to cover food and pay my energy bills just to get by. But with the rising cost of living, I still found myself in energy arrears and with credit card debt of thousands. I even resorted to borrowing money from a friend to make ends meet which I hated.When it reached crisis point and became too much to cope with, I reached out to StepChange for advice.But I still constantly worry about what the future holds and whether I’ll be able to keep up with my energy bills - especially with the current war in Iran and uncertainty about energy prices. We constantly watch what energy we use and only turn the heating on when we must in winter - but the worry is always there.”

Notes to Editors

• Plugging the Gap: the case for national social tariffs in energy and water, authored by Emily Whitford, can be viewed here.
• The report methodology hinges on data analysis of 153,829 StepChange clients who completed online or telephony debt advice in 2025, with a further online survey of 257 clients, and two focus groups with eleven StepChange debt advisors who have regular contact with those in utility arrears.
• All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,104 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th - 7th April 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).Population estimates are made by StepChange Debt Charity based the ONS Mid-Year Population Estimate 2024.

Estimates are made based on the total of GB adults (53,529,934), and the total number of adults in England and Wales (49,002,647), multiplied by the relevant percentages.

• The case study is available for interview, please contact the press office directly if this is of interest.
• Most households in Scotland pay their water and sewerage charges through their council tax bill. If you have council tax arrears, you will almost certainly also be behind on your water and sewerage charges. Similarly to England and Wales, you can’t be cut off due to your financial circumstances. For the purposes of this research, we are focusing on clients based in England and Wales who pay their water charges directly to a water provider.