Metric permalink

Energy bill affordability pressure

Survey

Part of the Living Standards domain. Share of adults who pay energy bills and find them very or somewhat difficult to afford, capturing acute cost-of-living stress beyond income measures.

Latest data

Latest reading

Latest value

35% of bill-payers finding energy bills difficult to afford

Aug 2026

Previous value

32% of bill-payers finding energy bills difficult to afford

+31 pts

Change between the two latest observations (Jul 2026 to Aug 2026), in stress score.

Direction of badnesshigher is worse

A higher reading is treated as worse for this indicator.

Score composition

Stress score

66/100

Since the September 2026 release

+35 ptsfrom 31 to 66

What changed on this indicator between the two releases: new observation, history restated, source changed.

Blended from two measured components: (2/3 weight) and trend (1/3 weight); where no trend can be computed the metric is scored on its level alone. Volatility is published as a diagnostic and does not enter the blend. Full formula on the methodology page.

Level · 2/3 weight

50bounds

Bounds: scored against fixed best/worst limits, used until a metric has about eight years of verified data to rank against.

Trend · 1/3 weight

97deteriorating

Measured from the direction and size of the change between the two most recent readings.

Volatility · diagnostic, not blended

Measured from how much this indicator has swung period on period across its recorded history.

Data confidence and provenance

Confidence and source

0.70Medium0.70

How much weight to put on the reading, the mean data-confidence across the component metrics (source quality, recency and completeness).

Source

Office for National StatisticsSurvey

Opinions and Lifestyle Survey

Update frequency: Periodic
Reliability: medium

View source series ↗

Provenance

Provider: ONS (Opinions and Lifestyle Survey)
Series ID: energy bills affordability
Frequency: periodic
Accessed: 1 October 2026

Known weakness

ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey is a small quota sample; the energy-bills affordability question is the available proxy: no combined food-and-energy affordability rate is published: and fieldwork is periodic.

Notes

Verified official value from ONS (Opinions and Lifestyle Survey) (energy bills affordability), accessed 2026-10-01.

Historical values

History

Period	Value	Relative
2025	36
Mar 2026	34
Jul 2026	32
Aug 2026	35