WIREDGOV

This data represents approximately 18 million households who pay for their energy by fixed Direct Debit and hold a credit balance.

Main points

• Across the year ending September 2025, households in credit who pay for gas and electricity by fixed Direct Debit held an average total credit balance of £3.09 billion
• The year-on-year change is a reduction of £440 million from £3.53 billion reported in September 2024. Compared to the year ending June 2025 (the last reporting period) the 12-month average is unchanged
• As our reporting progresses, the credit balances decrease less sharply and smooth out
• Across the year ending September 2025, the average household credit balance was £197 for fixed Direct Debit customers - a decrease from £233 year on year from September 2024
• This 12-month rolling household average of £197 to September 2025 is a decrease of £3 compared to the year ending June 2025 (the last reporting period)
• The average household energy account for fixed Direct Debit customers was in credit by £255 at the end of September 2025, a year-on-year decrease from £267 reported in 2024

Things you need to know

Energy suppliers’ customer credit balances are an important part of the retail energy market. Details about how energy suppliers should treat customer credit balances are included in the rules in energy licences that set out consumer standards and what suppliers must do to stay financially stable.

The amount of credit that is held in energy accounts goes up and down during the year. Accounts will have more credit in them during the summer but then more is spent in the winter as more energy is used. Each household may have different experiences with how much credit they have on their balance at different times of the year. However, this is the trend that is seen across the energy sector.

Data are for live domestic customers energy accounts that are held by people who pay for their gas and electricity by fixed Direct Debit and have paid for the energy they use. 

The data is only for households whose energy account was in credit on the last day to each quarter from October 2024 to September 2025.

Get data

Get all the live energy domestic customer credit balances data in the retail market indicators data on our data portal.

Methodology

We have removed the amount of energy that has been used but not yet been paid for from the data, as well as any credit held by closed accounts, and those on non-domestic tariffs.

By including the quarterly figure alongside the yearly average, we show how households use their balances to keep how much they pay the same throughout the year.

All balances are net of unbilled consumption.

Further information

This data is published at the end of March, June, September and December each year.