Some 90 per cent of people over the age of 65 here in the UK believe that energy costs actually pose a real health risk to elderly Britons, new research has revealed.
The comparethemarket.com study has found that some nine per cent of elderly people in the UK actually expect that they will come down with health problems this winter because of how much it costs to heat their homes during the colder months.
When questioned, just 36 per cent said that they could definitely afford a hike in energy bills, so the high cost of energy at this time of year is likely to put pressure on household budgets.
“Cold weather and the resulting health problems are a real issue for the elderly who fall victim to the cold temperatures every year. Given the vulnerability of the elderly, it should be an absolute priority to ensure that they are able to afford their energy costs and appropriately heat their homes,” head of energy Peter Earl said.
It may be that you can take advantage of the winter fuel allowance scheme if you are worried about how you’re going to pay your bills. This offers you between £100 and £300 tax-free to help you pay your bills if you were born on or before May 5th 1953.
Mr Earl went on to say, however, that although the allowance does go some way to solving the problem more action must be taken to make sure that older people are on the best energy deals available to them since so many struggle to afford their energy bills.
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