Frozen Out: Fuel poverty hits thousands of UK families

Thousands of British families are feeling the chill, stuck below the poverty line and unable to meet soaring energy bills. And it is having an impact on the next generation, which has slipped through the government net for heating handouts.

­Boiling the kettle for tea -- this is something that single mother of four Julie Henry cannot afford to do very often.

Hers is one of 800,000 families in the UK living in "fuel poverty" -- struggling to pay for heating and electricity. In the last three years, she says her bill has doubled, and it is a constant juggling act.

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[Friedstuffsable]

@Homzy09 They had it longer.. BECAUSE THEY WERE A YOUNGER COUNTRY! Doh!

[Homzy09]

@Friedstuffsable

Your point being? The United States had slavery well into the 1800s. Go and facepalm your dick or something, or learn your history.

[numptyfuckup]

I thought this was a British Family, shes not British, listen to her accent shes an immigrant black woman sponging off the British Tax payer. Its immigrants like her that has added to the hardship of the true real British people who are suffering. And her kids are in trouble because they come from violent locust immigrants who cant help it. Bullshit report nothing to with British family's!!! Make the stinking father pay!!!!

[Vaiobella1]

Maybe if she stop visiting hair salon weekly to relax her hair and use that money to pay powerbills. I live in NZ, a house with 2 adults and 2 children, our powerbill monthly is $250.00 plus. Get a job or work overtime.

[rickw2354]

my great grandma was a cherokee indian why is it the descendents of indians do not have a attitude like liberals or blacks and on my great grandfathers side came from scotland and went to a plantation in virginia to work slave or free im not sure didnt even sound like she was from england wheres the father lol as usual not there looks like shes getting free rent goverment housing probably free medical etc etc what a waste

[zackhoffman]

@Gh0stIII Your comment makes you a hypocrite and strangely slightly scary to concieve that you feel no matter what... You will always have moral highground in your own mind through falsely justifying your own racism as others. I'm sure this is a mentality that Nazi regime enforcers had when executing Jewish civilians. Your no better than those you preach against.

[pliok0tsambur]

well if you have no money, don't have more and more children...logical, isn't it? all over the world...

[HelmetBlissta]

@starlitopensky1 I think my point was that the economic system brought us slavery, and that markets have no conscience.

[starlitopensky1]

@HelmetBlissta A small number of people owned slaves in America, the rest of the white people didn't want the slaves to come.

[iansuderman]

how cold are we talking?

I am in a northern climate close to one of the coldest cities on the planet. We experience days out of the year below minus 30.

You can turn your heat down to 64F (17C) and get the kids to wear shoes in the house. It is not uncommon for families in poverty out here to spend past 200 pounds on heat per month.

Experienced many cold nights as a child but never had any trouble sleeping with a thick blanket.

Just have doubts that it is only a heat bill problem.