36% surge in homes cut off by gas suppliers
Figures published by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) also show almost 64,000 homes had been fitted with pay-as-you-go meters for gas up to Sept 2012, while over 11,000 customers have similar meters for electricity.
The CER figures show 2,479 domestic customers had their gas supply cut off between July and September last year for non-payment of bills — the highest quarterly figure in recent years and a 36% increase on the corresponding period in 2011. In addition, 4,181 households had electricity disconnected in the third quarter of 2012, although it represents a 32% reduction. Over the past two years, gas and electricity prices have risen by about 30% on average with further increases likely later this year.
