LONDON (AP) — UK homeowners paid off £4.9 billion ($7.85 billion) in mortgage debt in the third quarter, the Bank of England said yesterday, marking the sixth consecutive quarter in which consumers reined in spending to bolster their personal finances.

The third-quarter figure was £2 billion less than in the second quarter. UK householders have now injected £33.9 billion of housing equity since the second quarter of last year. The equity injection peaked at £7.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Through the first quarter of 2008, householders had increased borrowing against their properties for 39 consecutive quarters.