MORE than a fifth of households in England are facing fuel poverty this winter, research finds.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition study also found the number who are fuel poor increases to 35 per cent for those with a young child under five years old.

More than one million households with infants and babies are set to be in fuel poverty from April 1 next year, the group of over 60 organisations found.

End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis said: “People are already seeing for themselves the suffering caused by living in fuel poverty and it will just get worse as we get deeper into winter and when the Energy Price Guarantee raises prices again in April 2023.

“The figures show that University College London’s Institute of Health Equity predictions of ‘a humanitarian crisis’ for children stuck in cold homes are now a very real possibility with fuel poverty causing a public health crisis.”

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the Asthma and Lung UK charity, warned respiratory infections could “thrive” in colder temperatures if a growing number of vulnerable people cannot afford enough heating next year.