One in four families are forced to choose between heating or food
Katy Morton
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
A poll of 1,000 members of parenting website Netmums has found that a quarter of mothers have had to choose food over heating because of spiralling energy bills.
Eight out of ten families admitted to rationing warmth in their homes, and of those, nine out of ten said that they wear extra clothes instead of turning on the heating.
More than half of respondents said they turn off the heating altogether when the children are not at home, and 45 per cent wrap up in a duvet or blankets during the day.
The survey also revealed that a third of parents are going to bed early to cut energy costs or wearing two layers of clothes in bed to keep warm.
Many respondents said they are worried about the impact of rationing their heating on their children’s health, with one in five saying they believe their children are ill more often as a result.
Campaigners are now calling on ministers to solve Britain’s fuel poverty crisis by ‘super-insulating’ millions of homes nationwide.
The Energy Bill Revolution campaign wants the Government to use money raised in Carbon Tax to ‘super-insulate’ homes across the country, cutting £300 from the average family’s fuel bill.
Members of the public are being urged to sign a petition to encourage the Government to put the changes in place.
Ed Matthew, director of the Energy Bill Revolution, said, ‘This survey shows that we are facing a national energy bill crisis. We call ourselves a developed country but no one should have to make the choice between feeding their family and heating their home. But there is a solution. By recycling carbon revenue to make homes super-energy efficient we can end the fuel poverty scandal once and for all. It is time for the Government to get a grip on this crisis and recognise that fully insulating UK homes is the best way to drive down energy bills.’
More than half of respondents said they turn off the heating altogether when the children are not at home, and 45 per cent wrap up in a duvet or blankets during the day.
The survey also revealed that a third of parents are going to bed early to cut energy costs or wearing two layers of clothes in bed to keep warm.
Many respondents said they are worried about the impact of rationing their heating on their children’s health, with one in five saying they believe their children are ill more often as a result.
Campaigners are now calling on ministers to solve Britain’s fuel poverty crisis by ‘super-insulating’ millions of homes nationwide.
The Energy Bill Revolution campaign wants the Government to use money raised in Carbon Tax to ‘super-insulate’ homes across the country, cutting £300 from the average family’s fuel bill.
Members of the public are being urged to sign a petition to encourage the Government to put the changes in place.
Ed Matthew, director of the Energy Bill Revolution, said, ‘This survey shows that we are facing a national energy bill crisis. We call ourselves a developed country but no one should have to make the choice between feeding their family and heating their home. But there is a solution. By recycling carbon revenue to make homes super-energy efficient we can end the fuel poverty scandal once and for all. It is time for the Government to get a grip on this crisis and recognise that fully insulating UK homes is the best way to drive down energy bills.’
