Kim has done alot of research into price comparisons for customers and how to get the best deal on many household products including Gas and Electricity. She enjoys writing articles to share this knowledge.
High Electricity Prices Could Threaten OAP Safety this Winter
As the weather turns decidedly wintery, concerns once again turn to the annual problem of gas and electricity prices. According to The Independent, one in every eleven people in Britain may have to avoid switching on their central heating or plugging in electrical appliances because of fears they will not be able to afford the rising electricity prices.
Five million people could struggle this winter to pay their utility bills, with low income families and pensioners most at risk over the winter period. Over the last five years, fuel poverty has grown in the UK threefold. A home in 'fuel poverty' is described by the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG) as a household that spends more than 10 per cent of the total income on heating and lighting.
The latest figures suggest that there are over 4 million people in the UK dealing with fuel poverty, a number which is set to rise dramatically if electricity prices increase with expectations this winter. According to the FPAG, gas and electricity prices are at least 10 per cent too high, with fuel suppliers failing to pass on savings when the wholesale price of energy came down.
The advice is to switch energy supplier as soon as possible to avoid high electricity prices. Voting with your feet is one of the few resources left to the public and switching suppliers is the best way to keep energy companies competitive and vying for custom.
Switching energy suppliers can be tricky, as they all offer competitive rates, but the best way to sort out which company can offer the best deal on gas and electricity prices is to use a price comparison site. By logging on and entering your details, the website can find you the cheapest utilities in your area and does all the leg work of calling companies for you.
Health concerns were raised as the charity Age Concern announced statistics that 38 per cent of pensioners would be cutting back on gas consumption this year and 41 per cent would use less electricity. President of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Alan Maryon-Davis told The Independent: 'If people live in the cold ' particularly the elderly and those living alone ' they are more likely to get cardiovascular problems, heart attacks and strokes, and chronic lung conditions like bronchitis.'
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About the Author:
Kim has done alot of research into price comparisons for customers and how to get the best deal on many household products including Gas and Electricity. She enjoys writing articles to share this knowledge.
Author: Kim Chambers