1M ELDERLY IN FUEL POVERTY

Ministers urged to avert winter bills catastrophe

THESE bare meat shelves at a Morrisons supermarket yesterday show the growing supply chain crisis as shoppers suffer.

The meat shortage at the store in Borehamwood, Herts, came as the Office for National Statistics revealed one in six customers have had trouble finding essential food items in the past fortnight.

Aalmost a quarter of 3,300 shoppers told the ONS they could not find non-essential products.

Shane Brennan of the Cold Chain Federation urged supermarkets to bolster supply chains by ditching ususal rivalries.

MORE than a million pensioners are living in fuel poverty – and high energy prices will force thousands more to ration heating this winter, Age UK warned yesterday.

With annual bills threatening to top £2,000 for the first time, the charity called for urgent Government action to support those hardest hit.

Amid the growing crisis, National Grid also warned last week electricity supplies will be “tight” this winter with a greater risk of the lights going out.

Experts also fear some factories may shut “within weeks” due to soaring costs, risking tens of thousands of jobs.

Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “Reports of surging energy prices and possible blackouts will worry older people about how they will get through this winter.

“There needs to be more help for people to claim the support they are entitled to and meaningful investment in warmer homes.” Charity National Energy Action warned the crisis could force 1.5million extra households of all ages into fuel poverty – on top of the four million already spending more than 10% of their income on heating.

The price rises have been blamed on reduced gas supply from Russia, low stocks and a dip in renewable output. Experts warn the current energy bill cap level of £1,277 is set to rise by as much as £800 next April.

Alex Belsham-Harris, of Citizens Advice, said the Government must “urgently plan” the support it will give to those set to be hammered.

He added: “People are already feeling the effects of rising bills, for many at the same time as the Government’s £20-per-week cut to Universal Credit.”

And heavy industry, including steel and cement, may have to scale back production and even mothball plants.

Dr Richard Leese, of the Energy Intensive Users Group, said ministers should tackle the crisis “right now” to avoid more damage to the economy.

He added: “What we’ve done is lay out to Government a winter package of measures that we think is needed.”

It comes amid reports the Government is planning to introduce new charges on gas as part of a strategy to cut the price of electricity.