Charity, Health & Lifestyle | Posted on January 8th, 2026 | return to news

Dorset elderly in crisis over fuel poverty, warn Citizens Advice

The charity warns that being in debt to energy companies is causing older people in Dorset to feel stress and anxiety.

Older people living in fuel poverty in Dorset are so stressed and anxious about being in debt to energy companies they are left facing an emotional crisis, warns an advice expert.

“The poverty we see in Dorset in this day and age is quite shocking,” said Dan Fancy, energy team manager at Citizens Advice. “We’ve got people who are not eating and staying in freezing cold homes that are having an adverse effect on their physical health, let alone their mental health.”

Citizens Advice is working with Dorset Community Foundation to run the Surviving Winter appeal, which distributes £200 grants to pensioners and people aged 60 and over with a disability who are living in fuel poverty. The appeal also helps the Citizens Advice energy team identify people at risk so they can offer the grants, as well as a range of other support.

Fancy said the people he and his team advise are often suffering health conditions and trapped in a spiral of debt caused by rising prices. “People choosing between heating and eating is actually a lot more common than you’d think,” he added.

He and his team are talking to people worn down by the stress of not being able to afford their heating and being chased for multiple debts.

Fancy said: “It’s the not knowing where your next week’s food is going to come from and wondering whether your benefit money will immediately be taken out by a bill. “The stress of it all, combined with the physical toll it’s taking, is heart-breaking. “It’s not uncommon to speak to clients at the end of their tether, including, in extreme cases, having suicidal thoughts. It’s really sad and difficult because there are all these factors at play.”

The £200 grants from the Surviving Winter appeal are helping to alleviate this stress. In many cases, the money is the difference between putting the heating on or not over winter.

“When we explain to people about the extra support via the Surviving Winter Grant, you can hear the relief in their voices. Suddenly they can then start focusing on other issues, so it makes a massive difference,” Fancy said.

According to Fancy, people are visibly lifted by the help they receive from Citizens Advice. “Any time you can provide clients with advice or help them access grants and additional support, they’re so appreciative,” he added. “People are often eligible for more support than they thought possible, and through the Surviving Winter appeal, we are able to help desperate people to access the support they need, which is very rewarding.”

Dorset Community Foundation Chief Executive Grant Robson said the appeal, now in its 15th year, saves lives. He said: “We know from the brilliant team at Citizens Advice that these grants are vital and the more we raise, the more people we can help. “There’s a perception that, once we get to January, the warmer weather isn’t far away but for people living in fuel poverty, the stretch between January and April is the hardest because that’s when the bills are highest. “We are appealing to people to be generous and help us make these long, cold months more bearable for older people in such desperate conditions.”

Donate to the appeal at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org.uk or send a cheque or banker’s draft, made payable to Dorset Community Foundation, to The Surviving Winter Appeal, Dorset Community Foundation, The Spire, High Street, Poole, BH15 1DF.

People can also donate through a BACS transfer via: Charities Aid Foundation Bank, sort code 40-52-40, account number 00083897 (please use reference SW), or on 01202 670815.

Anyone needing energy support from Citizens Advice can contact it on 01929 775500 or at energy@edpcitizensadvice.org.uk.