Thousands of children in Huddersfield are living in families who have fallen behind with their energy bills, shock new figures have revealed.
The statistics, based on new research from The Children’s Society, reveals that the Huddersfield parliamentary constituency is the worst affected in the district by energy debt with around a fifth of children, 20.6% – an estimated 4,200 children – were living in families who have fallen behind on their bills.
The charity’s report, Show Some Warmth: Exposing The Damaging Impact Of Energy Debt On Children, shows that children living in families struggling with energy debt are at much higher risk of becoming ill this winter.
And it exposes how energy companies are failing to follow the rules and are using damaging debt practices when families get into energy debt, leaving homes cold and harming children’s and parents’ health.
Suppliers are legally required to assess how much of their debt families can realistically afford to repay. They are also required to make it easy for customers to raise concerns.
But the report finds that in many cases this is not happening.
The research highlights how almost one third (32%) of parents falling into energy debt across Yorkshire and The Humber found their energy company aggressive or felt intimidated by their supplier with more than half (53%) saying they were not treated with respect or given the support they needed. And almost two thirds (63%) suffered anxiety, stress or depression as a result of getting into energy debt.
Too often parents have little choice but to turn the heating down, leaving their children without a hot meal, hot bath, or warm bedroom at night.
The Children’s Society’s research indicates that, across Yorkshire and The Humber, almost a quarter (24%) of children living in families who have been in energy debt have had trouble sleeping because their bedroom was too cold.
Children whose families faced energy debts are also three times more likely to have been ill last winter than other children, and their homes are also three times more likely to have damp or mould.
The publication of the report coincides with the launch of The Children’s Society’s Show Some Warmth campaign, which, as part of its Debt Trap campaign, is lifting the lid on the damaging effects that energy debt has on children’s lives.
Research by The Children’s Society, carried out to accompany the report, shows that 126,000 families in Yorkshire and The Humber – 19% of the total – are in, or have experienced, energy debt. It means an estimated 219,000 children across the region are living in families who are either in energy debt or have been in the past.
Across the UK an estimated 2.2 million children are living in families who have been in energy debt.
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, said: “Huge numbers of families in Yorkshire and The Humber are struggling to make ends meet yet companies are making them the victims of their damaging debt practices.
“It is time they show some warmth and stop failing vulnerable families. They need to follow their agreements to work with, not against, families in energy debt and find workable solutions. No child should be made to grow up in a cold home because their parents are trapped in an energy debt trap.”
The Children’s Society is calling for urgent reforms to help these families, saying it is vital the Government changes the law so energy companies treat families with children as vulnerable customers and makes sure those who have been put on pre-payment meters because they are in debt, do not pay more for their energy as a result.
It added that energy companies must negotiate affordable debt repayment plans, including lowering or suspending debt repayments over the winter when children’s health is most at risk and they also need to review staff training procedures, targets and call scripts so a flexible approach is taken with families. Energy companies should also offer a free helpline that customers can call from a mobile phone to raise concerns.
The estimated number of children living in families who have been in energy debt at some point are Huddersfield – 4,200; Colne Valley – 3,900; Calder Valley – 3,700; Dewsbury – 4,400; Batley and Spen – 2,400.
The estimated number of families who have been in energy debt at some point are Huddersfield – 2,400; Colne Valley – 2,200; Calder Valley – 2,100; Dewsbury – 2,500; Batley and Spen – 4,100.
