UK inflation is running at 9% in May, driven by sharp rises in the price of gas and electricity, food and transport costs. Among the groups hardest hit by the rising cost of living are pensioners, who are often on a fixed income and tend to spend more on home energy bills than other households.
In April the state pension went up by 3.1%. The average energy bill of just under £2,000 is 20% of the £9,627 a year paid through the new state pension.
