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British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON, Octopus customers have spoken out over the “frightening” new energy price cap. The energy regulator will announce a new price cap on Friday, which is expected to increase by about 9 per cent – £140 – from October.
The new Labour Party government said it was “taking difficult decisions to fix the foundations of the economy” and would target winter fuel payments to “those most in need”. But Retired Royal Mail worker Pauline Anderson, organiser of the Swansea Ageing Well community walking group, told the BBC : “There are some who are in their 70s and still having to go to work, at 70 you shouldn’t have to be doing that.”
The loss of the winter fuel payment, worth between £100 and £300, as well as an expected increase in bills – £140 – has led to anxiety, and means pensioners could lose £440. Margaret, from Port Talbot, told the Beeb she was “really frightened” about what losing the winter fuel payment would mean.
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“I lost my husband five years ago and I’m on my own and the pension I’m getting is very small,” she said. Anne, 62, said: “We cut back on the thermostat so much that we ended up with damp in the house, so then we had to increase from 14C to 15C to see if that would be any better.”
“Millionaires get the winter fuel payment,” said Beryl. “I agree with it being means tested but whether the means tested side of it is fair, I don’t know.” The UK government said it was “committed to pensioners” by “protecting” the triple lock pension and “keeping energy bills low”.
It said it would “work with local authorities to boost the uptake of pension credit, reaching the many pensioners who could still benefit from this year’s winter fuel payments”.
