‘I am sitting in the cold to try to save money’ - reality of how spending cuts are affecting Birmingham families

Four out of five Birmingham residents have seen their energy bills increase this year, according to a new survey.

The research also found 90% of respondents believed the government had handled the collapse of energy firms and the fuel crisis at the petrol pumps badly.

The study was carried out among Ladywood residents by their MP, Shabanna Mahmood.

More than four million families across the UK are classed as living in fuel poverty, with the West Midlands being the worst affected region with 429,730 households - 18% - falling into this bracket.

Birmingham Hodge Hill, the worst affected constituency in England, more than a quarter of households (27%) are affected.

The response to the study in Ladywood has prompted Labour MP Ms Mahmood to write to Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to demand urgent action to support those struggling to pay their energy bills.

Ms Mahmood has also submitted Written Questions to the Secretary of State regarding the crisis in the energy sector.

She said: “Residents are facing a cruel triple whammy that will hit them in their pockets: while energy and fuel prices rise, Ministers are choosing to press ahead with a damaging £1000 cut to Universal Credit and are imposing unfair tax rises on working families.

“It cannot be right that working families in my constituency are facing a choice between heating or eating this winter.

“That’s why I’ve written to the Secretary of State and demanded urgent action to support people across Birmingham.”

Responding to the survey, constituents from Birmingham Ladywood said:

1. “Universal Credit uplift needs to stay with the high energy prices and food prices.  I am sitting in the cold to try and save money.”

2. “I am extremely concerned with the increased of prices of energy. With everything going up in price such as food I am concerned about people will have to choose between eating and heating.”

3. “My gas bill has gone up by £26 a month. I was paying £83 a month and am now paying £109 a month. I am a single parent in benefits with a disabled child and I cannot afford to pay my gas bill for long.”

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