Our gas crisis campaign is standing up for Sheffielders ahead of stark winter

When to put the heating on is the subject of many a long-standing family joke, whether you pile on the jumpers or turn up the thermostat at the first opportunity.
A gas storage tank in London, England.  (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)A gas storage tank in London, England.  (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
A gas storage tank in London, England. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

This week however, it looks like some of us may not get the choice this winter.

The UK’s energy system has been plunged into chaos and householders fear they will be left with unaffordable bills just as winter looms.

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Sheffield residents out shopping in Broomhill told us they were already struggling with bills and placing restrictions on their usage.

"I’ve not got my heating on at the moment and I’m not going to put it on”, said one.

In the current Indian summer we are all enjoying, this may not feel like much of a crisis.

But the sunshine has to end at some point, and come a ten degree drop in temperature, we will all want to be warm at home.

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And for some it will be simply an exacerbation of a problem they were already facing.

The latest figures available show that 42, 801 Sheffield households were classed as being in fuel poverty in 2019. That equates to 17 per cent of the population.

Today the Sheffield Telegraph stands with its sister titles to launch a new campaign called Keep Us Warm This Winter.

Through the campaign we will give our audience the information they need about the current fuel crisis, put pressure on Government to ensure no vulnerable families find themselves without heating this winter and stand up for families in our communities as they face one of the toughest winters ever.

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If you have a view on the energy crisis or will be affected and would like to speak out, please get in touch by calling me on 07803 506425 or email [email protected].

Read our first campaign story on page 17.