Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 23
13th Report - Regulation of water, energy and broadband
Published 11 Sep 2026
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Regulation of water, energy and broadband All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Debt owed by consumers to utility companies is now a substantial problem. The NAO report found that, by March 2025, customers’ debt to energy supply companies and water companies totalled £7.2 billion. In energy, customer debt to energy supply companies increased in real-terms by 118% from March 2021 to March 2025. With energy and water bills set to rise further, this situation could worsen.65
From: Public Accounts Committee, 13th Report - Regulation of water, energy and broadband (HC 105), 11 September 2026
Government response
Government response awaited: deadline 11 November 2026.