Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age said: “Today’s Price Cap announcement offers little comfort to older people living on a low income and struggling to get by. Our helpline is continuing to hear from people in later life in financial hardship who have been forced to make sacrifices to pay their bills, including eating one meal a day, washing themselves in freezing cold water, and risking falls by not turning on the lights at night.
“Gas unit costs are still well over double what they were in winter 2020/21 and electricity unit costs are up by over half. The fixed incomes of older people in financial hardship simply cannot keep up with these increases. Long term solutions to protect the most financially vulnerable from high energy prices are desperately needed.
“We’re calling on the government to introduce an energy bills social tariff for those in greatest needed, including people over 65 on a low income and those who have high energy consumption due to illness. This long term and sustainable solution would offer some protection to people in later life living on low incomes, so they aren’t forced to make dangerous choices now, and as we approach the winter."