Today in Brussels, thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding government action to bring down the impossible prices of fuel and electricity. An estimated two-thirds of Belgians are unable to pay their energy bills. The government is lamely considering getting an EU-wide cap on gas prices and whatnot. Meantime, the situation worsens.
In Britain, a new report by the charity Money Advice Trust has revealed that runaway energy prices have forced 10.9 million people, equivalent to 20% of the country’s adult population, to be behind in paying their bills, which is an increase of 3 million just since March. An August opinion survey of 2,000 U.K. adults, also found that 5.6 million have periodically gone without food in the past three months as a result of the high cost of living: That included skipping meals, eating once a day or not eating at all on some days. In addition nearly 8 million people have sold personal or household items to help cover bills.
“Many households are already facing impossible choices, such as which meal to skip just to keep the lights on,” Joanna Elson, the charity’s chief executive, told the Guardian. She added that the charity is calling on the government to use this week’s budget to provide targeted support for those on the lowest incomes.
