Opinion – Lydia Millen’s posts show severity of winter wealth gap

It does successfully highlight how we as a nation will all be experiencing this winter’s energy crisis differently.

Over the last few months, many households have had to learn the ins and outs of their energy tariffs, ensure they take a deep breath before opening the gas and electric bill, and ration use of heating to only the coldest days the weather forecast has to offer.

The energy crisis is impacting lower income households more drastically, with many now choosing whether they should ‘heat or eat’ this winter.

It has reached a point where remaining warm and fuelling our homes has become a luxury, and it’s not something everyone can afford to do consistently, or at all. Britain’s leading fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, estimates that almost 6.7 million households will this year be unable to heat their homes due to rising costs.

Fuel poverty stands to affect low income households and those with long term illnesses and disabilities more greatly, who in recent years have seen their ‘income drop by over £1000 per year, due to changes in Universal Credit’, and as a result of rising inflation rates.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called this the ‘worst winter in living memory’ for Britain’s poorest. Now, without further intervention from the government, it will only stand to get worse.

The Savoy influencer is just one example of the tiers of privilege that exist in the British housing economy.

Those who rent their homes privately or from councils and housing associations – compared to those who own their homes – will all face stark differences over the impact of the energy crisis this winter. This gap widens considerably when you factor in varying energy prices across different regions of the UK.

The government may have introduced price caps for the amount energy companies can charge, but this will only benefit those paying via direct debit, and instead increase costs for those on prepayment metres which are largely used in rental properties.

It seems as a nation we’re all aware that government funded support will reach full capacity, and so councils and charities have taken it upon themselves to help some of Britain’s most vulnerable.

Public buildings such as libraries and art galleries will open themselves up as ‘warm banks’, acting ‘as refuges for people who cannot afford to heat homes’, similar to that of a food bank.

As temperatures continue to plumet, many of us will be forced to redefine heat as a luxury and not a necessity this festive season.

For those of us who lack the same disposable income (and of course, PR deals) as influencers such as Lydia Millen, we will be seeking out alternative ways to stay warm throughout winter and keep costs low. Afterall, we can’t all check into a luxury hotel whenever our heating gives out.