Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “These figures are a tragic indictment of an energy system which is putting the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people in harm’s way.
“Households with poor ventilation or no ability to implement passive cooling measures are at significantly greater risk. A risk which is also heightened for people who are simply unable to afford to run fans and air conditioners to keep their homes cool.
“It has been more than five years since energy bills could be considered even vaguely normal and a growing proportion of households are now spending an unsustainable amount of their income on energy costs or servicing energy debt.
“The same people who suffer in cold winters, suffer in hot summers, with the poorest neighbourhoods seven times more likely to be vulnerable to extreme heat events.
“It is a disgrace that not only are the fossil fuel giants contributing to the climate crisis, but they are also profiting from the increased energy prices households have to pay to keep our homes cool in the summer.”
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