People attending a community centre in Bacup, described as the most deprived area in the Rossendale Valley according to the English indices of deprivation 2025, have expressed serious concern about their ability to afford a sharp rise in energy bills due next month.
What the rise means for households
According to the BBC, energy regulator Ofgem has announced that average household energy bills will rise by £221 from 1 July, bringing a typical annual bill to £1,862. The increase represents a 13.5% rise on the previous quarter and sits 79% higher than bill levels before the energy crisis began in winter 2020/21. The regulator attributed the increase to higher wholesale costs facing energy suppliers, with the conflict in Iran cited as a contributing factor.
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'Surviving rather than living'
Jules Pritchard, who leads an arts and crafts class for around 20 people at the ABD Centre in the Rossendale Valley, told the BBC that the impact on older residents in Bacup could be severe. "They're trying to survive and I think a lot of them are surviving rather than living, which is a very sad place to be," she said. Pritchard added that many pensioners had worked all their lives and should not be in such a position.
Alison Grant, 61, from Weir, said she was "very anxious and very worried" about the forthcoming increase. "I don't know where the money will come from," she told the BBC. Grant described monitoring her prepayment meter constantly and referred to it as an "anxiety meter". She also highlighted the cumulative pressure of rising food and fuel costs, describing the situation as "relentless".
Wider cost of living pressures
The concerns raised at the Bacup community centre reflect a broader national picture. Figures from the Office for National Statistics, cited by the BBC, show that 66% of adults reported their cost of living had increased compared with the previous month, with food shopping, fuel, and gas or electricity bills cited as the most common reasons.
June Divine, who runs a weekly luncheon at the centre where people can eat at cost price, funded in part by lottery money and church donations, said: "Everything has just rocketed."
Government response
A government representative, quoted by the BBC, said tackling energy affordability remains the administration's "number one priority". The statement pointed to several measures already in place, including removing £150 of costs from energy bills, extending the Warm Home Discount to around six million households, freezing fuel duty, rail fares and prescription charges, increasing the minimum wage, and cutting VAT on family activities and children's meals.
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