Seven million energy customers have been told to reach out to their bank immediately if they're struggling to keep up with bills. British Gas, OVO, EDF, EOn and Octopus customers have been warned some 7.4 million UK adults are still struggling to pay bills.

The number has fallen from last year, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), but many households still feel "heavily burdened". Sheldon Mills, executive director of consumers and competition at the FCA, said its survey showed "many people are still struggling with their bills", but added it was "encouraging to see some benefitting from the help that's available".

Caroline Dove and Becky Ward, from Cambridgeshire, have been delivering hundreds of hot meals for people in need and have seen demand skyrocket from 40 to 90 amid the Cost of Living crisis. "One of my elderly ladies was actually buying dog food because it was cheaper than human food," said Ms Ward.

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"She said she's gone through the war and the rations and all that sort of stuff and so dog food didn't taste any different to her." The FCA urged people worried about keeping up with payments to contact their lender "straight away".

Conor D'Arcy, interim chief executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said it was "encouraging" that the number of people struggling with bills had dipped but added with millions still behind on payments, "the impact of the cost of living crisis on our finances and mental health is likely to last a long time".

He said there was "more for lenders to do" to help, including "reaching out to customers with support before people seek it". Richard Lane, chief client officer at StepChange, said people on lower incomes were "particularly struggling to repay significant household debt and relying on credit to keep up".

"Research has shown that people in financial difficulty are often struggling with anxiety, embarrassment and stigma, and tend to try and juggle their finances and cope for too long before seeking help, when they could benefit from lender support and free debt advice sooner," he added.