Utility Regulator launches new lived experience research on energy hardship

The Utility Regulator has today published key findings on 'Energy Hardship: Consumer Lived Experiences'. This recent research on energy hardship looked at the lived experiences of domestic electricity and gas consumers across Northern Ireland struggling to pay their energy costs.

The research was conducted by Perceptive Insight on behalf of the Utility Regulator.

The key findings accompany the full report'Energy Hardship: A Lived Experience Report'.

This is the first time we have carried out research of this nature. The research provides an evidence base to inform our consumer protection work, as we continue to support domestic consumers who are struggling with or at risk of experiencing energy debt.

Lived experience research provides a unique insight into participant's experiences, perspectives and choices under particular circumstances. It supports the ongoing quantitative research we carry out on an annual basis and provides a voice to the people behind the statistics.

Participants involved in the research had experienced being in debt with their energy supplier, regularly running out of energy on their prepayment meter or had significantly reduced their energy usage to levels below their daily living needs because of difficulties paying for their energy.

Key findings from the report include:

• Overall, the majority of participants were already doing all they could to cut back on energy costs and were tightly managing their budgets, just to get by.
• For the majority of those interviewed, they had experienced changes in their circumstances (for example marriage breakdown, job loss or health issues) that had resulted in having to manage on a lower income.
• Many participants had adopted harmful coping strategies in an attempt to reduce their spending on electricity or heating. These included skipping meals or drastically reducing their energy use to levels below their daily living needs.
• All participants experienced a negative impact on their quality of life, physical or mental health.

We will continue to work with government, electricity and gas suppliers, consumer bodies and the wider energy industry, to identify what can be done to support energy consumers in these circumstances.

Along with our research consultants at Perceptive Insight, we would like to extend our gratitude to all who took part in the research and thank them for sharing their story with us.

Further information and advice on energy debt is available on our website, within the household consumer information sectionon our website.