More than two million UK households are in debt on their electricity bills

People are already unplugging fridges, washing clothes by hand and skipping meals - with worse to come this winter, Citizens Advice warns

The number of UK households in arrears on their energy bills soared to record levels in the second quarter of this year, with more than two million behind on their electricity payments.

Data from the energy regulator Ofgem shows that at the end of June, 2,347,511 households were behind on their electricity bills and 1,858,585 on their gas bills. Both totals rose by about a quarter in just three months, and by almost two-thirds since the end of 2020.