Young families and older people alike are living in cold, damp homes that are bad for their health and wellbeing.

At the Centre for Sustainable Energy, we’re launching our Share the Warmth campaign so our energy advice service can be there for more people facing the cold this winter. Everyone deserves to be warm and safe at home.

1 in 5 families living in fuel poverty

Every year, young families and older people alike are living in cold, damp homes that are bad for their health and wellbeing.

And their numbers are growing. Rising energy prices and the cost-of-living crisis will push 400,000 more families into fuel poverty as temperatures fall. It means 1 in 5 families in the UK will be facing the cold at home this winter, with many fearing to turn their heating on at all.

What happens if you live in a cold home?

Louise lives in a cold, draughty home in Bristol and is a lone parent to her two children, Alice and Kai. Louise was struggling with her energy bills, meaning she couldn’t afford to set the heating higher than 15°C, 3-6°C lower than the safe temperature, and her and her children were constantly ill. Louise was relying on foodbanks and Alice and Kai often went to school hungry, which affected their concentration as well as their mental and physical wellbeing.

Worried for her family, Louise reached out to CSE for support. Our friendly advisors secured Louise some vouchers to help with food and heating costs, bringing immediate relief. We also worked with her to identify ways to keep her home warmer through the year, securing grant funding to arrange loft and cavity wall insulation. With a warmer home and lower energy bills, the family’s health will improve, and they will be able to eat properly and be comfortable at home.

Cold homes can affect anyone. If someone can’t afford to heat their home, the low temperatures, along with common problems like damp, condensation and mould, can have serious impacts. Cold can:

• Cause and worsen respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular diseases.
• Affect mental health, including depression and stress, and cause social isolation.
• Negatively impact children’s performance at school.
• Force difficult choices between paying for heating and other necessities.

CSE exists to eliminate the suffering caused by cold homes.

Join us in sharing the warmth this winter

Our free energy advice service is a lifeline for thousands of people in vulnerable circumstances. Everyone’s situation is unique, and our advisors are trained to offer comprehensive support.

At a time when Winter Fuel Payments are being taken away from millions of older people with disabilities and health conditions, our work is more vital than ever to ensure people are warm and comfortable at home. Your contribution will mean our advice line is here for those who need it.

We can offer winter warmth packs and food vouchers to give people immediate relief, give energy advice, debt support and guidance on claiming benefits to help people to take control of their situation into the future.

You can give hope and relief to people left in the cold this winter by supporting our energy advice service.

• £10 could provide emergency energy payments to help a family keep their heating on.
• £50 could gift someone who’s cold at home a Winter Warmth Pack, keeping them safely warm.
• £100 could support a family through a dedicated advisor helping with grants for insulation and heating improvements, debt and accessing benefits and guidance on reducing damp and mould.