Excess winter deaths caused by cold homes in Great Britain ‘up by about a half’

Vulnerable households had to turn off the heating last winter because of energy costs. Photograph: Realimage/Alamy

The number of excess winter deaths in Great Britain caused by living in a cold, damp home climbed by about a half last winter after more than 1 million vulnerable households missed out on government energy bill support, MPs have heard.

Fuel poverty campaigners told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that despite relatively mild weather, the number of excess winter deaths had climbed to 4,706, up from 3,186 a year earlier, as a result of the energy cost crisis.