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More than 4 million fear they`ll be made redundant Consumers took on more mortgage debt in July Debts called in by parents Teenagers `scared of debt` Rising household costs could pressure people in debt Pensions debt may impact workers` retirement funds Welsh young adults `at highest risk of debt problems` Over 50s can`t afford to enjoy retirement because of debts Budget: tackling the nation`s debt Short-term debt: `no need for price control` The cost of clearing debt Education debt Tackling the national debt Number of mortgage deals on offer exceeds 3,000 Almost 5 million take on debt to pay household bills OECD: household debt more than 120% of disposable income Petrol price falls help people in debt Amount of mortgage debt taken on at lowest level in ten years Northern Ireland sees significant IVA rise Overdraft debt `becoming more expensive`

Energy companies `must explain bills`

30/03/2009

Energy industry regulator Ofgem has said that energy suppliers should be more `transparent` with regard to their direct debit billing.

An investigation into the operation of direct debit systems concluded that energy companies provided a lack of transparency and poor communication, although Ofgem said that there was no evidence of overcharging from companies.

Some analysts had previously accused energy companies of setting their direct debits too high, meaning billpayers were paying more than was necessary to cover their usage.

Similarly, energy companies had been accused in some cases of not changing direct debit payments quickly enough after price rises had taken place, meaning many billpayers unknowingly fell into debt on their accounts.

A spokesperson for Debt Advisers Direct commented: "Most direct debit payments are fixed over a certain period of time, which can make it more difficult to track their actual costs, compared with paying by methods which take actual usage into account.

"Direct debit customers should ideally provide meter readings to their suppliers on a regular basis, and discuss whether their monthly payments need to be changed. This can help to prevent customers from overpaying unnecessarily."

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Debt Advisers Direct offer free debt advice and a range of debt solutions, including debt management plans, debt consolidation loans and IVAs (Individual Voluntary Arrangements).

More than 4 million fear they`ll be made redundant 16/12/2010 - According to R3`s quarterly personal debt tracker, more than 4 Consumers took on more mortgage debt in July 26/08/2010 - Consumers took on £2bn more mortgage debt than they repaid Debts called in by parents 26/08/2010 - According to research, `the bank of Mum and Dad` is Teenagers `scared of debt` 19/08/2010 - Nearly two thirds of teenagers are `scared` of debt, according