Fuel poverty in UK ‘hit one in four in social housing last winter’

Millions of people are underheating their homes to the point that it could damage their health, says National Energy Action. Photograph: Horst Friedrichs/Alamy

One in four UK households living in social housing was forced to go without heating at times last winter to reduce the cost of record high energy bills, according to new figures.

The number of households living in temperatures below 18 degrees celsius for periods last winter climbed by about 240,000 compared with the winter before, raising concerns among fuel poverty charities that rocketing energy bills are posing a risk to people’s health.