Bitter Arctic air has swept across the UK this month, causing winter to arrive early for millions of people, with temperatures in some places plunging below zero.
On 1 October the energy price cap rose 2% to £1,755 for a typical annual dual-fuel bill in Great Britain. That was on top of existing debt to energy suppliers of £4.4bn in June, according to Ofgem – which should “ring alarm bells” for lawmakers, said a coordinator at the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.
Since the cost of living crisis began in 2022, the UK has seen the rise in warm banks as spaces where people could escape freezing homes. Many libraries continued to operate as designated warm spaces in winter 2023 and 2024, and the charity Warm Welcome Spaces says it has a network of almost 6,000 spaces.
With the concept set to continue in winter 2024-25, we want to hear from you. Have you visited, set up or worked at a community warm space in recent years? How did you find the experience, and why did you do it? How did the experience make you feel? What do you think about the rise of warm banks?
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