Fears energy bill rise mean people 'surviving rather than living'

Fears energy bill rise mean people 'surviving rather than living'Image caption, Jules Pritchard said many pensioners were "surviving rather than living"ByAnna JamesonNorth WestPublishedJust nowPeople at a community centre in one of the most deprived parts of Lancashire said they are afraid they will not be able to afford a 13.5% hike in energy bills next month.Average household energy bills will rise by £221 from 1 July, a 13.5% increase on the previous quarter and 79% higher than before the energy crisis began in winter 2020/21, under the latest cap announced by energy regulator Ofgem."It will affect a lot of people in Bacup, particularly the elderly," Jules Pritchard, class leader at the ABD Centre in the Rossendale Valley, said.A government representative said tackling the affordability crisis is its "number one priority".Image caption, Alison Grant said price increases were "relentless"Bacup has the highest levels of deprivation in the Rossendale Valley according to English indices of deprivation 2025, external statistics."They're trying to survive and I think a lot of them are surviving rather than living, which is a very sad place to be," said Pritchard, who teaches an arts and craft class to around 20 people."You've worked all your life, you shouldn't just be surviving, you should be living comfortably and the way the world is at the moment, that's not happening."Community centre user Alison Grant, 61, from Weir said she was "very anxious and very worried"."I don't know where the money will come from," she said."I have a meter and a smart meter, but you might as well call it an anxiety meter."You're watching it constantly to see how much is on the meter until your next payday."Image caption, Volunteers at the centre help to run a weekly luncheonThe increase for those on variable deals comes as the higher wholesale costs, faced...