SSE price rise - Age Cymru response

Commenting on the announcement that SSE customers are set to see an average rise of 8.2% in their energy bills from 15 November, Age Cymru's Head of Policy and Public Affairs Graeme Francis says:

"Older people across Wales will be concerned that today's announcement will mark the start of the annual round of price rises from the Big Six energy companies that we've experienced in recent years.

"It will be an anxious time for many households currently striving to make ends meet as the cost of living continues to rise.

"Age Cymru is particularly concerned about the plight of the hundreds of thousands of older people in Wales who are living in fuel poverty - this is the term we use to describe a household that spends 10 % or more of its income on heating.

"Many older people tell us that they have had to choose between paying for heating or eating during the winter months and Age Cymru has evidence that older people are now spending less on both heating and eating during the winter months - in fact, last winter, older people in Wales were more likely to cut back on heating and eating than those anywhere else in the UK.

"We need further action now from the UK Government, the energy regulator and the energy companies to come up with sustainable solutions to make sure that everyone can afford to keep warm when the temperatures start to drop."