Warning of winter rationing in UK as energy bills set to rise £149

Worried woman looking over her finances
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


Nearly half of UK adults are expected to ration their energy use this winter, following a 10 percent increase in gas and electricity tariffs this week. Charities are urging the government to provide more support for vulnerable individuals struggling to heat their homes, as the average household bill is set to rise by £149 after Tuesday's energy price cap increase.

A survey conducted by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action revealed that 46 percent of adults are likely to use less energy than required for comfort and wellbeing. Around 45 percent of low-income respondents admitted to having difficulty paying for their energy over the past year, while over a third of those using prepayment meters reported going without power or heating when needed.

The charity estimates that approximately six million households will fall into fuel poverty - spending over 10 percent of their income on heating bills - once the latest tariff increase takes effect tomorrow. With the new cap, the average annual energy bill for gas and electricity, based on typical usage, will rise to £1,717, with a further increase anticipated in January.

In response to these increases, advice has been given to households facing financial difficulties to consider fixing their tariffs below the new cap, as several energy providers offer tariffs around £100 cheaper. National Energy Action's chief executive, Adam Scorer, stated: "Millions of households face another dreadful winter, resigned to increasing energy debt or not heating their homes at all."

"There is still time for the UK government to increase the support provided through the warm homes discount scheme and to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to provide direct support to reduce bills. But this must be the last winter for the quick fix.".

Upset woman looking at credit card and laptop
Nearly half of UK adults are expected to ration their energy use this winter -Credit:Getty

A concerning finding from the NEA's survey revealed that 4 percent of adults reported reducing their use of vital medical equipment, such as oxygen and hoists, over the past three months in an effort to cut costs. Charities and fuel poverty campaigners have expressed concerns that Labour's decision to abolish the winter fuel payment for most pensioners will exacerbate the situation, with some warning that it could result in thousands of deaths among the sick and vulnerable.

Approximately 10 million pensioners are expected to lose the automatic allowance, with additional payments only being made to around 1 million individuals who receive pension credit or claim other means-tested benefits. Age UK's charity director, Caroline Abrahams, described restricting the winter fuel payment as "reckless and wrong" and warned that it "spells disaster for pensioners on low and modest incomes".

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: "For many pensioners, this winter will feel like the most expensive on record. What's worse, there are more price increases on the horizon."

He emphasised that while long-term plans to improve home energy efficiency and national energy security were welcome, they would take time. He stated it was "vital the ministers bring in more support for vulnerable households this winter".

He alleged: "The energy industry has made more than £457bn in profit since the start of the crisis," he said. "So there is plenty of money in the system to be able to ensure everyone stays warm this winter and next."

Citizens Advice highlighted that many people were still not receiving adequate customer service and support from their energy suppliers. Its chief executive, Dame Clare Moriarty, expressed: "We're bracing ourselves for another challenging winter. Whilst suppliers' customer service improved in the spring, firms need to continue upping their game to ensure people can access support in the colder months. The government must also urgently introduce targeted bill support that reflects the realities of people's energy needs."

Ofgem declared: "Energy consumers deserve an easy and reliable service from their supplier. We've been working hard with the sector to drive up standards and create a more customer-centric energy future. This includes strengthening our procedures to take firmer action against suppliers when things go wrong and toughening up the rules around customer bills for greater accuracy."

Ofgem said: "It's clear the work of government, regulator, consumer groups and suppliers is starting to make a difference and customer satisfaction is slowly rising. But there is lots more work to be done to ensure exceptional customer service is the norm across the board and the energy sector is among the best sectors for how customers are treated. We will use all the powers at our disposal to get there."