Stress over bills in ‘broken energy system’ sparks mental health fear

Stress around being able to pay high energy bills has caused illness and work absence, according to research for the Women’s Institute (WI).

The organisation said bigger bills and debt are fuelling a women’s mental health crisis.

More than one in 10 women (14%) said they had been in energy debt in the past six months, its research suggested.

Of these, almost a fifth (19%) suffered sleepless nights as a result and nearly a third (29%) said they felt worried about paying their bills.

Polling firm Opinium was commissioned by campaign collective Warm This Winter for the WI to interview 2,000 people aged 18 and older across the UK in March, 1,030 of whom were women.

The research, published during Mental Health Awareness Week, found of those who had recently been in debt due to energy costs, 9% said it had made them ill, with 6% missing work due to stress.

The findings also suggested 15% of women were either considering or had skipped meals to make ends meet, one in eight had considered relying on foodbanks and 14% had given up hobbies, which the WI said can in turn affect mental health.

Melissa Green, chief executive of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), said:

“Our research shows that the cost-of-living crisis deeply affects women, who often take on the mental load of running a household on top of jobs.”

Warm This Winter, a group of 50 charities and campaigners calling for a fair energy system, said the findings show “women can see the UK’s energy system is broken and want long-term solutions” like well-funded insulation and renewable energy schemes.