Fears over fuel crisis

Today this newspaper is joining with its sister titles across JPIMedia to launch our campaign Keep Us Warm This Winter.

As part of this, we will make sure you, our readers, have all the information you need about the fuel crisis, keep you up to date with developments and ways to ensure you can cope with the winter ahead.

We will put pressure on the government to ensure no vulnerable families find themselves without heating this winter and demand extra payments to those families to cover the excess heating charges.

We will work to help you find solutions to your individual concerns and put those concerns to our MPs/ government.

We will stand up for families in our communities as they face one of the toughest winters ever.

This week Boris Johnson warned that supermarket shelves could be empty for months due to food shortages.

Some people have already had to cope with their energy firms going bust, and others face an uncertain time wondering if theirs will be next.

There is fear that spiralling fuel costs could plunge more people into fuel poverty, where the choice of eating or heating becomes a harsh reality for many more families.

Our foodbanks may face yet more pressure as a result, and there have been stark warnings about the potential for job losses at affected companies, a three-day week and shortages of food and even Covid booster vaccinations due to CO2 problems.

Horsham Matters, which runs the foodbank in Horsham, said it expected demand to soar.

Managing director Emma Elnaugh said: “The rise in fuel costs, coinciding with the end to furlough and the cut in Universal Credit, will be a tipping point for many and have a huge impact on those already struggling to feed their families.

“Household budgets will be stretched to breaking point by the increase, and we expect demand for our services to soar at a time when we are already supporting more people than ever.

“Those who pay their fuel bills monthly or quarterly won’t qualify for fuel vouchers, leaving them with the stark choice of heating their homes or putting food on the table.”

See page 2 for an explainer about rising gas prices.