Fall in variety of NI folks struggling to make funds | EUROtoday

The quantity of people that typically wrestle to pay their power payments has fallen within the final 12 months, based on a survey by the Utility Regulator.

More than 1,500 home customers took half within the analysis between October and January.

The survey is carried out yearly to listen to client experiences of the Northern Ireland electrical energy and gasoline markets.

It discovered the quantity of people that typically wrestle to pay their electrical energy invoice fell from 33% final yr to 23% this yr.

The variety of respondents who typically wrestle to pay for gasoline additionally fell from 36% to 27%.

However, there are particular teams – akin to clients with disabilities, those that dwell in social housing, and personal renters – who have been extra more likely to wrestle to pay their power payments.

Head of client safety on the Utility Regulator, Sinéad Dynan, stated: “We are very aware that some consumers continue to struggle paying for their electricity or gas and don’t fully engage with their suppliers to ensure they are receiving all the support they can avail of.

“We will proceed to advertise the ways in which power suppliers help their clients and the additional protections in place for these in weak circumstances, to try to encourage extra take-up of those companies,” she added.

The analysis discovered personal renters and people dwelling in social housing have been extra probably than owners to expertise cost difficulties and fewer more likely to bear in mind what help is obtainable.