Older Britons hit the hardest by rising utilities bills

The recent rises in the cost of gas and electricity have unsurprisingly hit millions of UK households hard, particularly since they have come about in the midst of one of the most significant economic downturns on record and have been accompanied by increased food prices and a general rise in the overall cost of living.

However, while many Britons have been able to juggle their outgoings or make some sacrifices in order to pay for their heating and lighting, those who have finished working have had little choice but to seek out other means of meeting their commitments.

Notably, while workers are able to put their utilities bills on their credit cards while they shop around to switch utilities suppliers or wait for a pay rise or change of fortune, the nation's retirees are facing up to this increase in the cost of living while on static or even falling levels of income.

As such, it is the over-60s who are being the hardest hit by the ongoing rise in gas and electricity costs, even though they are the most likely to suffer the most physically from failing to keep warm over the winter months.

Worryingly, according to several studies, many pensioners are not only being forced to wrap up warm while indoors or even hole themselves up in a single room for weeks at a time, but they are being left with little choice but to raid their life savings or cash in on the equity on their homes so as to pay the bills that drop through their letterboxes every quarter.

Simon Bottery, director of policy and communications at Independent Age, explained: "Older people have been hit hard by rising food and fuel prices. They are typically on fixed or even declining incomes, as any money they get from savings will be falling because of low interest rates.

"Their choices are to cut back on spending, eat into savings if they have them or raise extra money through schemes such as equity release."

According to Age Concern and Help the Aged, around 2.5 million older households across the UK are currently living in fuel poverty, whereby at least ten per cent of their monthly income goes on paying for their heating and power.

But though there are certain issues that are beyond pensioners' control, such as the size of their pension packets and the rates being charged by the big suppliers, there are some simple steps that could serve to help tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of older Britons.

Not only do the above charities believe that as many as 1.8 million pensioners are not claiming the one-off Cold Weather payments to which they are entitled, but it is also likely that many have failed to shop around for the best deal and switch utilities suppliers where appropriate at any point in the past few years.

Meanwhile, many are also likely to be guilty of failing to make the best use of wall or loft insulation, thereby leaving themselves vulnerable to the worst that the British winter can throw at them.