poverty fuelled

About a quarter of households suffer fuel poverty. A study by uSwitch.com revealed that 6.3 million households in the UK were now classed as being in fuel poverty. It means at least 18 million people are spending 10% or more of their take home pay on energy bills, based on the new way of calculating fuel poverty - and families with one stay-at-home parent and single, working parents were the worst affected. But the rising costs mean even people on higher incomes have started to feel the squeeze on their finances from fuel bills. The average dual-fuel bill for both gas and electricity is set to rise by about £175 to £1,206.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: "The fact is that we can now find the fuel poor amongst all walks of life and in all types of households...Start to factor in housing costs such as mortgage and rental payments, and we are left with the shocking image of a third of all British households living in fuel poverty"

Lucy McTernan, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland,said "And I'm afraid they are borne out by the evidence from Scottish Citizens Advice Bureaux." She went on: "The uSwitch report is right to say that the problem is affecting people from all backgrounds. But many of the people who are worst affected are those who are most vulnerable to begin with - including pensioners, and people who are unemployed, sick and disabled."