9 million pensioners struggle to pay winter fuel bills

Published on Friday 2 December 2005 00:07

NINE million pensioners will struggle to pay energy bills this winter, a new report claimed yesterday.

A comprehensive study of the over-sixties by internet comparison site uSwitch revealed an alarming number of elderly people will struggle to keep their homes warm as rising energy bills and a colder than average winter begin to bite.

The study found over 60 per cent of pensioners would struggle to cope with an increase of 60 in their annual fuel bills.

An increase in gas and electricity prices of just 20 would see four million elderly people face difficulties finding the cash to settle bills between now and March, the report said.

Experts say these are stark statistics, considering that the country is forecast to have one of the coldest winters in a decade.

One in three pensioners say they have already cut the amount of heating they use following price rises.

Charities say the problem of "fuel poverty" is set to worsen, with the risk of price rises of up to 15 per cent in 2006 .

Gordon Lishman, the director general of Age Concern, said: "Older people should be able to heat their homes without being worried about the bills they're likely to face. Many pensioners live on a low, fixed income and are hit particularly hard by hikes in their fuel bills.

"Energy companies must do everything they can to protect vulnerable groups such as pensioners from price increases.

"The government should increase the state pension so that pensioners have enough money to cover basic living costs such as heating their homes."