Carers & Winter Fuel Bills: 9 in 10 Carers worried about impending Winter Fuel Bills

A new survey commissioned by Turn2us, part of the national charity Elizabeth Finn Care, reveals the worrying situation faced by the UK’s six million carers as winter approaches. Two thirds (66%) of carers surveyed struggled to pay their bills last winter and over nine in ten (92%) have concerns about being able to pay increasingly high energy bills this year. Moreover, two fifths (42%) faced debt as a result of last years costs, with 1 in 5 (21%) incurring over £600 owed as a direct result of covering fuel bills.

The high cost of heating a home, and keeping the household clean and fed, means many must take drastic measures.  Shockingly, over a quarter (29%) of carers surveyed were unable to turn on their heating last winter for 14 days or more, with one quarter (25%) attempting to cut costs by heating only in one room of their house and two fifths (42%) wearing extra clothes to bed in order to keep fuel costs down.

Full Press Release on Turn2Us