Figures show households struggling, with 2.7% of direct debits for gas and electricity failing due to lack of funds

• Business live – latest updates

A record proportion of British households were unable to pay their energy bills by direct debit last month because there was not enough money in their bank accounts, according to official government data.

More than 2.7% of direct debit payments for gas and electricity defaulted in April due to insufficient funds, the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.