PENSIONERS have condemned a rise in fuel prices which they say will leave elderly people struggling as winter approaches.

British Gas raised its fuel prices by six percent last week, Npower will increase the price of gas by an average of 8.8 percent and electricity by 9.1 percent next month and SSE has also put its prices up by nine percent.

Senior Manager for Age UK Redbridge, James Monger, said: “We are very disappointed by this latest increase.

“We know that deaths among the elderly increase as the weather gets colder and with people’s savings being worth less than they were three or four years ago this is bad news.

“For some, it often comes down to ‘Do I pay my heating bills or do I buy food?

“We always tell people to use their heating and not worry about bills, and we say we can help. But we know people do worry, because they tell us.”

British Gas Managing Director, Phil Bentley, has defended the price hike pointing to rising gas costs and dwindling North Sea supplies.

But British Gas increased its prices by an average of 18 percent in July last year and data released by energy watchdog Ofgem reveals that a typical gas bill has risen by more than £300 a year in the last seven years.

Frances Cohen, 75, of Village Way in Barkingside, said: “They put their prices up quite a bit last year and I think they are just being greedy with this latest increase.

“I can afford to heat my home, but my savings are worth less than they were a few years ago and it is a worry to see bills going up and up.”

And Denis Clarke, 83, of Dover Road, Aldersbrook, also slammed the rise.
He said: “It’s a disgrace, but it happens every year so we shouldn’t really be surprised.

“I know they say you can shop around for better deals online, but I don’t even have a computer and I don’t want to be messing around with changing providers anyway.”

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