EDF has announced a significant increase in energy debt among its customers, with a rise of £70 million over the past year.
The total debt for EDF customers who pay by cash or cheque has reached £518 million.
The company attributes this increase to higher wholesale energy costs and the broader cost of living crisis.
In response, EDF has invested £27 million since last October to support customers, including financial assistance and energy efficiency measures.
Despite these efforts, the overall debt levels have continued to rise.
EDF forecasts that energy bills will increase by £146 in October, adding further pressure on customers.
To address these issues, EDF has proposed three key priorities for the government: reviewing energy efficiency schemes, introducing targeted bill support and creating a central database of vulnerable households.
The Great British Insulation Scheme, which EDF has been a leading participant in, provides funding for home insulation but has faced limitations.
EDF suggests improvements to the scheme, including allowing multiple measures per home and extending eligibility to more households.
Philippe Commaret, Managing Director of Customers at EDF, said: “Our reliance on globally traded fossil fuels means that prices have unfortunately increased significantly over the past few years.
“And whilst the Ofgem price cap has reduced over the previous months, our price cap forecasting service predicts that October’s will increase by £146 to an average of £1,714 and increase again in January.
“We have continued offering assistance to those in need, providing debt relief alongside a range of financial support services, and kept our fixed prices as low as possible to help, but with costs rising customers need urgent assistance in both the short and long term.”
