Vulnerable people across South Yorkshire in the 'lull before the storm' over energy bills
Age UK in Barnsley tell us many are concerned about how much they could end up paying for their gas and electricity down the line
It's thought vulnerable people living in South Yorkshire are 'waiting for an onslaught' of higher energy bills in future.
Many elderly people in the region depend on their weekly state pension funds of less than £180 to cover all their outgoings.
However, if the household energy price cap goes up in line with inflation later this year, it could leave many struggling to afford their electricity & gas bills.
Beth Hopkin works at the Age UK charity in Barnsley:
"Older people do ordinarily worry about energy costs, without all these changes which may be coming up.
"As you get older and you have more health problems, then you have more costs to go along with that.
"You might not be able to get the bus like you used to, so you may have to get a taxi instead.
"Little changes like this, alongside spiralling energy costs, could leave a lot of people in difficult positions if they're unable to increase their income.
"There are things like the warm-homes discount, which is attached to pension credit claiming and benefit claiming as well.
"That can help ease the pressure on energy costs, so it's worth looking at, and sometimes people are surprised that they're eligible in the first place."
Earlier this week, the energy minister said he 'doesn't know' when the Government will announce its plans to mitigate some of the energy price hikes due to hit households in April.
Greg Hands told MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee that discussions are ongoing but there is no timescale in mind.