Britons predicted ‘heartbreaking’ choice due to rising electricity prices

The cost of living crisis: you will have to take loans to pay off debt on gas and electricity

The ‘heartbreaking’ choices Britons will have to make this winter as the cost of living crisis unfolds has been revealed in a new survey. According to the survey, one in ten people in the UK plans to take out a loan to cover the cost of gas and electricity.

According to the survey, millions of people in the UK will not turn on their heating this winter due to rising energy bills. According to Sky News, a poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats showed that 23% of British adults plan to take this drastic step, and among those with children at home, this figure has increased to 27%.

The results also showed that 23% will be forced to use credit cards to pay bills (up to 33% for parents with children) while one in ten will take out a loan to cover higher expenses.

The information follows Friday’s announcement by energy regulator Ofgem that the cap on energy prices will rise by 80% in October, leaving the average family to pay £3,549 a year for gas and electricity.

The UK government is under growing pressure to announce further support to help households and businesses navigate the cost of living crisis, but Downing Street insists it is up to the new prime minister to decide what action to take.

With a week to go before the winner of the Conservative leadership showdown is announced, neither Liz Truss nor Rishi Sunak have provided precise details on what they plan to do to deal with rising bills if they get the keys to 10 Downing Street.

It was previously reported that Liz Truss, who is seen as the front-runner and has previously rejected the idea of ​​handouts to people, is planning to cut VAT from 20% to 15%, along with her promises to reverse the National Insurance increase and suspend green fees.

Rishi Sunak’s team criticized rumors of the VAT cut as an expensive and “incredibly regressive” move, and the former chancellor said help with electricity bills should be directed to low-income households and retirees through social security and winter fuel bills.

The Liberal Democrats, Labor and the Scottish National Party have called for a price cap freeze as well as more support for the poorest households.

Liberal Democrat MP and spokeswoman Christine Jardine said people will be forced to make “heartbreaking decisions” this winter, like turning off the heat, because the government “couldn’t save them.” She added: “It is a national scandal that parents have to choose between heating their home and feeding their children. It should not be. The UK is on the verge of the worst cost-of-living crisis in a century, and yet Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will not back down from higher energy prices. It is clear that energy prices should not rise in October.”

Shadow Climate Change Minister Kerry McCarthy said: “The energy price ceiling just soared to record levels and people are horrified at what that means for their bills this winter. The government had to work around the clock and ensure that as many households as possible would benefit from lower bills. His failure to do so, despite repeated warnings, risks leaving millions of people in the cold.”