Third of Britons are 'made ill' by freezing homes

ALMOST a third of people say they have suffered ill health this winter by cutting back on heating to reduce their bills.

- By Lucy Johnston

And 44% of those quizzed admitted to feeling more financially vulnerable.

The research comes with the energy price cap set to be hiked by 6.4% next month. It means an average household bill for gas and electricity will rise by £111 a year to £1,849.

And a separate report has blamed skyrocketing electricity bills on subsidies for renewables and net-zero policies.

The hard choices being faced by struggling households were laid bare by a survey commissioned by the UK's biggest gas distribution network Cadent.

It found 31% of those polled felt their health had been negatively impacted by cold homes in the past three months.

Separate studies have shown that living in cold conditions increases the risk of illnesses or death among vulnerable people.