ANTI-POVERTY organisations ramped up calls for the government to open a “help to repay” scheme on energy bills today, after research revealed one in four households are unable to pay arrears.

An estimated 6.4 million adults in Britain and Northern Ireland are now in arrears with their energy bills, up more than 824,000 since April, according to a survey for National Debtline.

It found that 24 per cent of those in arrears can’t afford the balance, with more than a fifth also saying their supplier has not accepted an affordable offer of repayment.