The impact of fuel poverty on 2021 is severe as the film by Stonewater Housing Association shows.
Stay at home rules could cost some households an extra £45 per month more in increased heating and electricity bills.
This means increasing numbers of people right across the country are having to make the stark choice between heating and eating.
Recently, Citizens Advice estimated an extra 600,000 households fell into fuel poverty due to previous lockdowns and separate figures show millions of people are already way behind on their fuel bills.
The additional concern is that, according to experts, fuel poverty can make respiratory illnesses worse – meaning conditions such as Covid may be exacerbated by cold damp homes.
While the long term solution to ending fuel poverty is more energy efficient buildings, and programmes like the Government’s Green Homes Grant will help facilitate this, there is a real need for energy debt relief for millions of families immediately.
You can write to your elected representatives asking for immediate government action (find out how here: https://www.writetothem.com/).
HELP IS AVAILABLE IF YOU NEED IT
Energy firms must take into account Covid-19 in how much they ask you to pay and no one should be disconnected at the moment.
There is also more help and support available from charitable organisations, check out our resources section for more information: https://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/resources/.