8 September 2008
By the end of next year almost a quarter of the UK population will be living in fuel poverty, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF). The organisation points out that gas and electricity bills are expected to continue their upward trend, with consumers paying around £500 a year for electricity and £900 a year for gas by 2010. As a result, it claims that 5.7 million households will be spending 10% or more of their income on gas and electricity bills by the end of 2009, compared to 2.4 million in 2005. Ruth Davison, Director of the Campaigns and Neighbourhoods Department at the NHF, insists: "The government needs to grasp the nettle and take strong and radical action to protect the nation's energy customers." The research, titled Energy Prices and Debt, also reveals that low income families will be worst hit by higher energy bills. This is because many pay for their gas and electricity through pre-payment meters and, the NHF claims, are charged much higher prices than customers who receive quarterly bills. Last month, all six of the UK's major energy providers increased their gas and electricity prices for the second time this year.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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