Age UK is calling for the Government to step in to help millions of UK pensioners who, they say, are having to make the choice between buying food or heating their homes.
The charity, which campaigns on behalf of older people, says more than seven million older people across Britain are worried about heating their homes this winter, amid soaring energy bill costs.
And nearly half of people aged 60 or over are concerned about the cost of keeping warm, with some having to choose whether to 'eat or heat', according to the charity.
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Soaring energy bills due to a massive hike in the price of wholesale gas have seen the average heating bill soar so far this year - with the coldest months yet to come.
In its Cost of Cold report, Age UK has called upon the Government to consider the following measures:
- The Government provides an additional one-off payment of £50 to everyone eligible for the Cold Weather Payment to help with their energy bills and give people the confidence to stay warm;
- Cold Weather Payments should also be expedited to ensure that payments in arrears arrive no later than seven working days after a spell of cold weather;
- The Household Support Fund double to provide £1bn of funding, 'so that fewer vulnerable households are forced to make the difficult choice between heating and eating during the coldest months';
- For longer term protection against soaring energy bills, the Government to ensure the energy price cap is enshrined in law;
- The reintroduction of a social tariff into the energy market to offer protection against high energy costs.
Low temperatures can be particularly dangerous for those with respiratory diseases, arthritis, or heart problems, and with around 1.4 million older Britons already living in fuel poverty, Age UK is concerned that rising bills will lead to many thousands more suffering over the coming months.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said:"'As temperatures plummet this winter, millions of vulnerable older people are feeling trapped at home, too scared to go out for fear of catching Covid, and too scared to turn the heating on for fear of racking up a bill they can’t afford.
"We cannot let a situation continue where people are so worried about rising bills that they either put their health at risk by not keeping their homes warm enough, or feel forced to cut back on meals to make ends meet.
"No-one should have to make the impossible choice between eating and putting their heating on.
"If the Government does not provide urgent financial support to change this – at a time when new restrictions encouraging us to stay at home seem a distinct possibility – it could mean a tragedy for many older people. The cost of cold has never been higher."
