Children suffer from food poisoning as parents switch fridges off to save on energy bills
23 May 2022, 08:55
Children are suffering from food poisoning because parents are turning off fridges and freezers overnight to save on energy bills.
Schools have warned about children getting ill as Brits try to rein in their spending thanks to soaring electricity and heating costs.
The alarm was raised by Truro Foodbank, in Cornwall, but it has been claimed the problem is UK-wide.
"It's been reported to me that schools were advising that children were suffering from food poisoning because some parents are turning their fridges and freezers off overnight," Simon Fann, who manages the bank, told The Times.
"There are other people who have reported that as well, whenever we've had the southwest [hunger charity] Trussell Trust conference. It's not a Cornwall-specific thing."
And he previously warned that demand for the food bank has increased while supplies are decreasing.
He told the BBC: "The level of need we're experiencing is now going up and outstripping the donations we're getting at the moment.
"That might indicate that people who were able to donate are now struggling themselves.
Govt looking at windfall tax "really closely," Minister says
"They're not sure about their own food security and so perhaps can't donate food in the way that they used to."
Opposition parties continue to call for a windfall tax on energy firms to put money towards helping people with the cost of living crisis.
Previously, Boris Johnson refused to rule it out when speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari.
Speaking on Monday, Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "The sector is realising enormous profits at the moment.
"If those profits are not directed in a way in which is productive for the real economy, then clearly all options are on the table.
"And that's what we are communicating to the sector, that we obviously want to see this investment, we need to see this investment.
"If it doesn't happen, then we can't rule out a windfall tax."
The rate of inflation shot to nine per cent last month, comparable to 1982.
Part of the rise was due to the price cap on energy bills, which was hiked by 54 per cent for the average household at the start of April.
