Banned Back Billing and Debt Help

Loading player...
The energy regulator Ofgem has been given less than two weeks to get answers for Parliament on the banned practice of back billing, which is when people are sent new bills for energy used longer than 12 months ago. In a letter written to the Chief Executive of Ofgem the chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero committee highlights Money Box's recent investigation into back billing, saying he considers there to be evidence of serious wrong doing on the part of energy suppliers and the need for intervention on the part of the regulator. Ofgem told Money Box it's reviewing supplier billing practices and "looking closely at supplier compliance with back billing rules to make sure customers get the service they are entitled to." For the first time since our investigation began Paul Lewis interviews Dhara Vyas, the chief executive of Energy UK, which represents energy suppliers.

State pensions paid to tens of millions of people will go up in April by 4.1%, but depending on how your pension is paid - weekly or monthly - some people may not get the extra money until May. How to make sure you get it as soon as possible.

And people who get into debt often find that it gets worse because of the high interest rates they are paying. Often they are only paying interest not reducing the amount owed at all. A new scheme by credit unions is trying to solve that by giving an affordable loan to people in debt at a low rates of interest so they can pay off their expensive debt and afford the repayments on their new debt. How will it work?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Peter Ruddick
Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner.
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 15th February 2025)
14 Mar English United Kingdom Business

Other recent episodes

Water Bills and Stamp Duty

From April water bills for millions of households in England and Wales will go up by record amounts. Exactly how much more you'll pay will depend where you live but, on average, bills will increase by more than £10 per month meaning a total average cost of over £600 a…
28 Mar 26 min

Money Box Live: Home Ownership Dreams

Politicians, banks and builders all talk about the dream of homeownership, but it's not easy to get on the property ladder. New figures given to Money Box Live show that, even though the Bank of England has reduced interest rates, it's now more expensive for a first-time buyer with a…
25 Mar 31 min

Ofgem Back Billing and Pensions and IHT

The energy regulator Ofgem says suppliers must take urgent action to find out how widespread a problem back billing is. It's when suppliers send out new bills for electricity and gas from longer than 12 months ago, a practice that was banned in 2018. The development follows Money Box's investigation…
22 Mar 27 min

Money Box Live: Energy Debt Help

People owe more money for gas and electricity bills than ever before. New calculations from the energy consultancy firm Baringa reveal the average typical energy debt is £1,500 - that's up £300 in a year. The total owed to energy companies is 3.8 billion pounds, which is almost double what…
18 Mar 31 min

Money Box Live: How to Retire Well

We all dream about what we will do when we don't have to work anymore. The perfect retirement looks different for everyone, from travelling the world and luxury holidays to spending more time with family and friends, but the cost of stopping work can be bit of a wake-up call…
11 Mar 30 min