Energy Bill Increases May Force One in Four Households to Turn Off Heating and Hot Water
On Friday, Ofgem announced a new energy price cap, set to hike bills by nearly £150 from October.
Responding to the latest price cap announcement, Jonathan Yates, Chief Officer at Citizens Advice SORT Group said:
‘We’re already helping record numbers of people with energy debt across Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford. With the price cap increase, we expect an even more challenging winter, with more people forced to make impossible decisions to make ends meet, and families worried about the impact the cold will have on their loved ones.
Citizens Advice research shows that one in four people are so concerned about rising energy costs that they may be forced to turn off their heating and hot water this winter. This concern is even higher among households with children (31%) and those on a low income (39%).
We urgently need the government to provide targeted support that reflects the realities of people’s needs. This would ensure that households with low incomes and higher energy needs would be eligible for more financial support, and that pensioners would get more support than they have done under previous schemes, like the Winter Fuel Payment.
Without immediate action, many people in our communities will face a very tough winter.’
-Ends
Notes to editors:
A Citizens Advice report, Fixing the foundations: The need for better targeted support for energy consumers, is available online. The findings reveal that one in four people (25%, the equivalent of 16.5 million people) are so worried about increases in energy costs that they say they will be forced to turn off their heating and hot water this winter. This increases to 31% of households with children, and 39% of bill payers on a low income. Survey data is based on an online representative poll of 2,209 GB adults conducted by Yonder Data Solutions for Citizens Advice. Fieldwork conducted between 26th to 28th July 2024.
Official fuel poverty statistics for England in 2023 show that households containing children and young people had the highest likelihood of being in fuel poverty.
Citizens Advice SORT Group is the parent company of the Citizens Advice services in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford. We are a member of the Citizens Advice service nationally which is made up of a network of 270 local Citizens Advice organisations across England and Wales.
Our network of charities offers impartial advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free.