Fuel poverty - half of working single parents are affected

Gingerbread has joined calls for renewed action on fuel poverty, as Save the Children publishes a report uncovering the impact of unaffordable energy on children’s health.

Single parent families are the most likely to be in fuel poverty. Around a third of households nationwide spend more than 10% of their income on keeping warm, but that rises to half for single parents who work, according to the price comparison site uSwitch [1].

Fiona Weir, Chief Executive of Gingerbread, said:

“Gingerbread gets a lot of calls to our helpline from single parents who are struggling with high energy bills, and at this time of year the impact of high fuel costs is even more stark.

“Children’s health is seriously affected by cold and damp homes, and the stress of money problems caused by high fuel bills can put added pressure on family life.

“With prices continuing to soar and both wages and benefits squeezed, the problem will only get worse unless the government acts.

“We need to see an expansion in support for vulnerable families, both from the government and from energy companies themselves.”

ENDS

 
Notes to Editors

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[1] http://www.uswitch.com/news/utilities/63-million-households-are-in-fuel-poverty-900000269/