MEGA.AI | May 2026 Newsletter

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Welcome to the MEGA.AI Monthly Newsletter for May 2026

Welcome to the May 2026 newsletter, which has been very active on a number of fronts, including client delivery programmes, partner development, product design and our broader business development activity. The Friday LinkedIn Live sessions with Martin, Kevin and guests seems to be gathering some traction. I am hoping to join in June 2026 to set out our progress and plans for the rest of the year.

The 2026 Equifax Financial Health Report examines how consumers have embraced a ‘Great Recalibration’ to survive sustained economic shocks. They highlight £79.2 billion of outstanding UK credit card debt, up 15.1% from pre-pandemic baselines, as consumers strategically use revolving credit for cash-flow management. Coping strategies are in sharp focus ahead projected increases in energy bills as Equifax quote a 20% increase in the July 2026 Ofgem energy price cap, driving bills to £1,973 as Energy Shock 2.0 hits. Alasdair Skeoch from BPO Collections is featured along with Sarah Jane (SJ) Mulreay from Advantis Credit.

Dave Heathcote from Equifax said:

“DCAs are evolving their approach by leveraging AI and data analytics to reach consumers more effectively. Technology is used to segment customers, identifying vulnerabilities and aligning tailored communication strategies, including self-serve options. Future aspirations include moving to AI agents for answering calls and queries, with human agents handling more difficult, vulnerable cases. This focus on data-driven, multi-channel engagement is enhancing outcomes.”

Peter, Founder-Mega, Strengthens Partnerships During CCS Collect UK Visit

Peter was in London earlier in May 2026 onboarding CCS Collect together with Alasdair Skeoch.

They’re an impressive team, and we are all really looking forward to working with them further as the MEGA.AI proposition gets rolled out across Everyday People Financial Solutions.

MEGA.AI proud sponsor of Credit Matters XIV hosted by Callisto Grand in Budapest

This event brought together global leaders in Credit, Collections and O2C innovation. Our Sales Director Fred Louwerens represented MEGA.AI and joined the “Great Tech Debate” focused on how AI and automation are transforming the future of collections and customer engagement.

We are proud to officially welcome UK Search Limited to the MEGA.AI family

UK Search Limited is a UK-based company specialising in debt collection, tracing, and data enhancement services. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Chesterfield, the company supports clients across sectors such as utilities, financial services, telecoms, and the public sector.

They are known for combining traditional tracing expertise with modern technology to improve customer contact, compliance, and recovery outcomes. Over the past months, the team at UK Search has been far more than a partner, they have been true collaborators throughout the journey. Together, we have tested, challenged, refined, and evolved new ways of thinking around AI-driven customer engagement and collections.

A huge thank you to the entire UK Search Limited team for the trust, energy, and commitment. We genuinely appreciate the collaboration and are excited for the next chapter together. This journey is only getting started.

VRS Conference - May 07, 2026

We were delighted that the VRS Conference on May 07, 2026 was such a success with over 200 delegates joining the VRS team at Nottingham Forest City ground. This included regulators as well as innovators in this space, which included the announcement of the ‘Vulnerability Passport’.

Beyond Compliance: AI for Vulnerable Customers

Kevin Still participated in a very interesting podcast with FourNet and ContactBabel to discuss new research ‘Beyond Compliance: AI for Vulnerable Customers’. This looks at contact centre environments. The report and podcast can be accessed at the link below. Kevin has collaborated with FourNet on a number of articles and blogs around vulnerability management and the Consumer Duty.

Rising energy costs - what does pro-active engagement mean?

On MEGA.AI LinkedIn Live event on April 17, 2026, we were joined by Chris Warburton, who put together some scenarios arising from the Gulf crisis. Martin Thielst Nielsen posed the question - why don't firms pro-actively engage with their customers when forward looking data is available? This extended beyond Utilities to Financial Services firms and public sector bodies.

A case in point is the cost of energy and the current starting position, where we had total debt & arrears of £4.55 billion (YE 2025). The Debt Respite Scheme hasn't yet commenced to deliver historic debt relief. Chris confirmed that we know the price cap will change on the 1st July 2026. After that it is predicted to rise, with a typical direct debit dual‑fuel bill expected to be between £1,858 and £1,861. It could be higher with hostilities escalating in the Gulf.

Ofgem figures at March 2026 showed average electricity arrears at £1,773 (over 1,146,497 accounts) for those with no payment arrangement in place. This would be very difficult to pay off as a lump sum, especially with regular payments rising.

Eligibility checks for social tariffs should be routine along with eligibility checks for Priority Registration Services (PSR). Income Optimisation needs to be encouraged, which Rob Johnson discussed on 1 May 2026 on LinkedIn Live.

The challenge is getting firms to routinely check these resources, including affordability resources like IE Hub. This is where AI can play a powerful role in delivering proportionate affordability checks. This is one of our strategic objectives in 2026.

Upcoming MEGA LinkedIn Live - May 29, 2026 with Richard Grinham, Lantern

Join us live on Friday, May 29 at 11:00 AM UK time as we welcome Richard Grinham, Servicing and Partnerships Director at Lantern.

With more than 20 years of experience across debt recovery and debt purchase, Richard brings deep industry expertise in servicing strategy, partnerships and customer engagement. His work focuses on building strong strategic relationships, driving operational growth and delivering customer-centric solutions aligned with fair communication and positive customer outcomes.

In this session, we will discuss the evolving collections landscape, strategic partnerships, customer engagement and the future of servicing within modern debt recovery operations.

A valuable conversation for anyone involved in collections, recoveries, customer operations and financial services.

Please click here to register.

The ‘Vulnerability Passport’ featured on LinkedIn Live on May 22, 2026

We had a great discussion on the MEGA.AI LinkedIn Live on 22 May 2026 where Martin and I were joined by Nigel Bryant of the Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS) and Wayne Lloyd from Smarter Contracts. The ‘Vulnerability Passport’ featured strongly and the go-to-market strategy.

Outputs from the VRS Conference are available at the link below, including photos and presentations (including the Vulnerability Passport presentation by Wayne).

You can watch the Recording of last week linkedIn live here

Innovation North – Leeds – June 04, 2026

Come and hear MEGA.AI speak at Innovation North on June 04, 2026 at Leeds Civic Hall on Thursday June 2026. This follows on from Kevin and Sammi presenting at Innovation South and the CIVEA Conference in April 2026, both in London.

We hope to announce our collaboration with Telsolutions.

Save the date – Sept 24, 2026 – Round 2 of AI: Real Life in Stratford-upon-Avon

AI: Insight to Action returns this September for a full-day interactive event focused on the real-world application of artificial intelligence across collections, recoveries and customer operations.

Hosted by DebtStream, Mega and Debtrak, the event brings together industry professionals to move beyond theory and explore what is genuinely working inside organisations today.

Expect honest discussion, practical working sessions and actionable insight around AI adoption, operational change, risk, confidence and execution.

Please click here to Register