Stories

Thu, 01 Oct 2026

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 'We're still cold paying £300 a month energy bills'

Redditch residents say they are worried they will not be able to afford heating.

* A pensioner, Pat Snell, from Redditch, Worcestershire, says she and her husband will struggle to afford heating this winter due to rising energy costs.
* The couple's fixed-rate tariff ends in late October, leaving them vulnerable to higher prices.
* Ofgem's latest energy price cap increase comes into force on Thursday, affecting around 22 million households.
* Typical households on standard variable tariffs will see annual bills rise by about £60 to £1,723.
* Pensioner Lorraine Stevenson is already limiting her energy use and says any reduction in costs helps.
* Najibullah Rahimi, a refugee from Afghanistan, is worried about how his family will manage with higher household costs.
* Energy advisor Caroline Fortune encourages households to regularly review their tariff and seek advice early if they fear falling behind on payments.