One in four fear having to turn off heating this winter amid rising energy bills
Up to a quarter of the UK population fear they may have to turn off their heating and hot water this winter due to an expected rise in household energy bills, research suggests.
A survey by Citizens Advice found that 31% of households with children and 39% of low-income individuals expect to take such drastic action.
The charity, which has seen record numbers of people struggling with energy debt despite lower summer costs, warned that without urgent government intervention, households will face "impossible choices and drastic cutbacks" to heat their homes.
Overall, the survey found that 48% of respondents stated they would turn down or turn off their heating or water if the energy price cap rises by the 9% predicted by experts.
A third of households surveyed said it would be difficult to budget food costs and other daily essentials such as mortgages, rent and childcare, while 7% said they would be forced to skip meals.
Energy consultancy firm Cornwall Insight recently estimated that the energy price cap will rise on October 1, increasing a typical household’s annual bill from £1,568 to £1,714.
Energy regulator Ofgem is expected to confirm the new energy price cap for October to December on Friday.
Citizens Advice said 7% of households currently remain in debt to their energy supplier. The proportion rises to 14% for households with children despite last year's slight reduction in bills.
The charity stated that essential monthly outgoings exceed the incomes of about five million people, and the expected price cap increase is projected to push an additional 187,000 people into a negative budget.Citizens Advice urged the government to "act fast" to prevent millions of households from experiencing further hardship this winter, with those in “desperate need” unable to wait for Labour’s long-term goal of reducing costs through a greater focus on renewables.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said the charity is “bracing” itself for a “challenging winter”.
She added: “The price cap increase will see a wave of households tipped into debt, bill payers forced to make impossible decisions to make ends meet, and families worried about the impact the cold will have on their loved ones.
“Energy prices might be down from the peak of the crisis, but with many already in the red and the removal of previous support packages, there’s still no light at the end of the tunnel for those in desperate need.
“The Government has inherited a huge challenge, so there must be no delay in their action.
“We need to see targeted bill support that reflects the realities of people’s energy needs.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “Fixing the broken energy system by investing in clean power is at the heart of our mission to protect families against price shocks and make Britain more energy independent.
“We will also support households to cut their bills and reduce fuel poverty through the £150 Warm Home Discount and the Warm Homes Plan – upgrading millions of homes this Parliament.”
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