The chief executive of a care charity in North Yorkshire has warned the energy crisis could force some care homes to close unless urgent action is taken by the government.
Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, said spiralling bills were already being felt by care providers, with the charity’s own gas costs more than doubling over the last 12 months to over £90,000.
She added the looming winter and further price rises was a “huge concern” for the care sector which looks after the most vulnerable in society.
Mrs Cawthray said: “Those working in social care are responsible for people’s lives and we have got to make sure that not only are our residents warm, but also that food costs are addressed.
“I have a colleague who is a small care provider and very concerned about how he is actually going to pay the wages, nevermind keep people warm.”
The new prime minister Liz Truss has pledged to “act immediately” on the energy crisis – with a price freeze funded by government-backed loans to energy companies widely expected.
But with the full details of the plans yet to be announced, Mrs Cawthray said the charity was already looking at different ways to reduce its energy costs, including the use of heating monitors in residential rooms and solar panels.
She added that any government plans must include care homes and charities like Harrogate Neighbours which provides residential care and a hot meal delivery service.
She said: “The government needs to be helping out everybody – it worries me just how people are going to cope.
“We use a huge amount of energy, not just in our residential areas but also in our kitchens and for our meals on wheels service so we have really got to think about our costs.
“This is a huge concern for us as we are a not-for-profit organisation
“At The Cuttings, our residents are responsible for their own bills so we have got to ensure they are not going to be turning down their heating to save money.
“We are going to have to be creative and innovative, as we always are.”
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