Energy bills: Vulnerable people’s ‘hopelessness’ over price hikes

Evidence from them included a man who said his “entire life is consumed by not being able to afford other things because of my energy bills”.

One of the female interviewees said that “in the depths of January blues, I transferred 90p from my savings account into my current account so that I could top up on electricity”.

“I thought to myself, this is a new low,” she added.

When asked about physical health, some interviewees believed that their poor health was a direct result of their rationing of the heating, especially when considering damp in the home and the inefficiency of their home at retaining heat.

Others mentioned how they had been eating poorer quality food or less food, in order to save money.

As a result, their health had declined or they had either gained or lost weight.

Sinead Dynan, Head of Consumer Protection at the Utility Regulator, said the work had “provided a glimpse into the stark reality some consumers are dealing with, which further highlights why our consumer protection work is so vitally important”.

“This research will help shape our work and strengthen our expectations of the service that electricity and gas suppliers provide,” she added.