‘It’s worse than under Thatcher’: energy price rises pile pressure on UK
Households in the UK will see their energy bills rise by 54% from 1 April, with prices expected to rise again in six months. Despite the chancellor’s spring statement offering a fuel duty cut and changes to the national insurance threshold, people are still struggling with the cost of living.
We spoke to six people about their experiences and what spiralling heating costs will mean for them.
In Hull, Lee Craven, a 48-year-old support worker at a mental health charity, is running out of money at least a week before his salary is paid each month. “I often work [overtime] just to make ends meet,” he said. His electricity bill has doubled since this time last year, and that’s before the price hike comes into effect on Friday. “I think it’s going to be pretty bad,” he says. “You get to the point where you dread the post coming through the door.”
By the last week of each month, Craven has run out of cash and has to get help from his parents. “I’ve got nothing – literally no money whatsoever,” he said. “I know where my money goes, it’s just going on bills. I’m not entitled to universal credit so I’m having to cut back on things like food. It’s really hard going. If it weren’t for my mum, I’d have to go to the food banks.”
Last month, he disconnected his broadband, and now uses his mobile phone as a hotspot. “It’s a luxury that I just can’t afford,” he said, adding that subscriptions to music streaming platforms have also had to go.
Craven used to shop at Sainsbury’s, before switching to cheaper supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi a couple of months ago because of the rising cost of food and essentials. “I used to like Sainsbury’s for the quality,” he said. “I was always budgeting my food quite well and would spend about £25 a week – now
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