Consumer impacts of market conditions survey: wave 4 (July 2023)
Reports, plans and updates
- Publication date
- Industry sector
- Supply and Retail Market
Exploring the experiences of energy consumers during a period of higher energy prices and market volatility following the global gas crisis.
Main points
- The proportion of consumers who report being behind on their household bills is now 12%. This has risen continuously since tracking began in March 2022.
- The proportion impacted in some way by energy affordability issues (37%) remains at its highest level. The majority (65%) of this group facing affordability issues started experiencing them for the first time since the global gas crisis.
- Future intentions to switch tariffs or suppliers have increased, and openness to switching to save money is at its highest level since tracking began in March 2022.
- Of those people who pay for their electricity and gas bills by standard credit, 21% are now behind on their energy bills, almost double the proportion in the previous wave (held in November and December 2022). 33% of people who pay using a prepayment meter have used emergency credit in the last three months.
- Most consumers are happy with their payment method. However, a higher proportion of consumers who use standard credit (35%) or prepayment meters (25%) want to change payment methods than among Direct Debit customers (14%).
Methodology
Ofgem commissioned BMG to run Wave 4 of the Household Consumer Impacts of Market Conditions Tracking Survey.
The survey took a mixed methods approach to data collection to ensure the inclusion of digitally excluded consumers. In total we reached 3,434 respondents. Quotas were set to achieve a sample representative of the GB population and set on gender, age, region, and socioeconomic group.
This research is intended to:
- measure overall consumer awareness, perceptions and experiences relating to changes in the energy market
- analyse how different audiences have been affected by these changes
- track how awareness, perceptions and behaviours vary over time