Australians are cutting back on basic things like fresh fruit and vegies in order to keep the lights on with the National Debt Helpline taking 14,000 calls in September — a record for the month, and up 14 per cent on the same time last year.

The helpline said borrowers were mainly calling from metropolitan Sydney and Melbourne and regional Queensland, where power bills are rising faster than what many can cope with.

One of those callers was Patricia Young, 34, from Merrylands in Sydney's West.

She earns $19 an hour as a barista for the Salvation Army, but it's not enough to keep pace with her rising power bills.

"When those bills have to come out, obviously we have to buy less fresh fruit and veggies and just make do," Ms Young said.

She said the financial squeeze was also taking an emotional toll.

"When you have to ask for help, you feel like you're failing a little bit."

Most calls to the helpline relate to gas bills, credit card debt, and rent.

Single mother Ms Young said until power bills start to come down, it will be harder to get by.

"You can't obviously sit around with the lights off, and the TV off — there's only so much you can do.

"It's something they really, really need to look at."

Fiona Guthrie, a spokesperson for the helpline, warned financial distress was on the rise again and there was little relief, particularly for people on low fixed incomes — such as Ms Young.

"It doesn't matter how good you are at budgeting — there's a point where you just can't keep going."

The National Debt Helpline also warned of new entrants into the payday lending market who offered high-cost, short-term loans.

Ms Guthrie said as the number of Australians in debt distress rose, more companies sought to profit from vulnerable people.