ALMOST half of Britons are worried they won’t be able to pay their energy bills as inflation is projected to rise following the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to a survey published today.

The research by debt charity StepChange found that 24 million people (45 per cent) said they were concerned about increasing energy costs, up from 29 per cent when they were last asked in January.

A further 14 million (28 per cent) of adults in England and Wales were specifically worried about their ability to afford water bills.

Two in five (41 per cent) respondents who have a water meter in their home have tried to reduce their usage by showering less often or washing their clothing and bedding less often.

Researchers said that almost three in five adults (58 per cent) have in the past three months attempted to reduce their energy consumption, but the number rises to 74 per cent among those who say they worry about their bills.

As part of its Plugging the Gap initiative, StepChange demanded that the government implement a tiered national social tariff for the energy and water sectors to help pay for cost reliefs for the most deprived households.

StepChange chief executive Vikki Brownridge said: “Making ends meet is getting harder — household essentials like energy and water are becoming increasingly unaffordable and are driving problem debt at alarming rates.

“Where people once commonly came to us after a life shock and emergency borrowing, more often we have clients telling us they simply cannot afford the cost of living as cumulative rises and historic arrears cripple budgets.”

Their report used data from 153,829 clients who completed online or telephone debt advice in 2025, with a further online survey of 257 clients.