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Government warns about rising credit card debt Debt - the 12-month view Amount of `bad debt` written off reaches 16-year high Deeper into debt: middle-class poverty Debt taken on by individuals increased in January Debt Relief Order (DRO) rules may be changed Overdrafts: five million Britons `permanently` in debt Mortgage lending drops to decade low The cost of debt falls Two thirds hope to have cleared mortgage debt by 50 40% of people approaching retirement `saddled with debt` Repossession `may be best` for homeowners struggling with debt Bankruptcies in Scotland - the worst may be yet to come Good news for people with energy debts US: new law provides debt-free date More debt taken on than repaid in December Savings rise as consumers pay down debt Household debt `could trigger another downturn` More families could fall into debt with energy companies Recession ends

Energy firms `not refunding overpayments automatically`

01/07/2009

A new report by consumer group Which? has claimed that energy firms are not making automatic refunds to some customers who have overpaid, according to The Telegraph.

Which? said that some companies were keeping hundreds of pounds worth of customers` overpayments before a refund would be issued.

Overpayments can occur when customers who make fixed payments towards their bills end up using less energy than expected.

A spokesperson for Debt Advisers Direct said: "In these difficult times, it`s important that we all manage our finances well, and keeping a close eye on household bills is just one way of doing that. Claiming back overpayments can be a big boost to the finances, especially for people in debt.

"That said, having some credit on an account can be an advantage in the winter, when usage typically rises and more people find themselves falling into debt on their accounts."

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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).

Government warns about rising credit card debt 05/03/2010 - The latest figures from the Bank of England (BoE) have Debt - the 12-month view 04/03/2010 - In January, UK citizens - between them - borrowed £500 Amount of `bad debt` written off reaches 16-year high 03/03/2010 - The latest figures from the Bank of England (BoE) suggest Deeper into debt: middle-class poverty 02/03/2010 - The recession has also affected a lot of people with