A new study by the University of York paints a stark picture of the misery British subjects will experience by next January, with an estimated two-thirds of all U.K. households trapped in “fuel poverty” by then, and an inadequate government response that will leave even middle-class households finding it difficult to pay their bills, the Guardian reported Aug. 17. Following further increases in the so-called “price cap” planned for October and January, 18 million families, some 45 million people, will struggle to make ends meet.
“Fuel poverty” is defined as when energy costs exceed 10% of the household’s net income. The new study includes some striking statistics: 86.4% of pensioner couples and 90.4% of single parents with two or more children are expected to fall into this category by January, if not before, with inflation for July registering a 40-year high of 10.1%. Stuart Rose, chairman of the ASDA supermarket chain, slammed the government for a “horrifying” lack of action over inflation.
