1.6 million British children live in fuel poverty

The number of UK children living in fuel poverty has risen to 1.6 million, 130,000 more than in 2010, a study reveals.

Energy Bill Revolution campaign found that more British children are living in cold homes compared with 2010, while British Gas residential announced it had made a £606 million profit last year after the fuel price hike.

The study also revealed that funding to help fuel-poor families with children has been cut by 27 percent since the coalition government took the power.

A campaign to accompany the study said British children living in freezing homes are twice as likely to suffer from respiratory problems compared to those whose families can afford heating their houses during cold weather.

“It’s a disgrace that not only has so little action been taken to bring down energy bills, but nothing is being done to stop them rising further for the UK’s poorest families,” said Neera Sharm from leading children’s charity Barnardo’s.

“Now 1.6 million children endure the misery of growing up in cold homes, which can affect every area of their wellbeing.”

An earlier study by Energy Bill Revolution revealed soaring energy bills in Britain forced one in four mothers to turn off the heating in order to afford food for their children.