THE number of people asking for help to pay their fuel bills has increased by almost 50 per cent, an Oxford Mail investigation has revealed.

Citizens Advice Bureau advisers saw 682 people in Oxfordshire between April and December last year struggling to find the money, compared with 468 in the same period in 2008.

Families said they were already struggling to pay gas and electricity bills before January’s snow. More cold weather is forecast this week.

New parents Sharon Brown and Christopher Keep, 37, forego buying non-essentials so they can heat their home for three-month-old daughter Rebecca.

Miss Brown, 32, of Black Bourton Road, Carterton, said: “It’s very difficult. We have to watch what spending we do.

“We both go without everything else that we used to buy, like clothes. I have got a lot of maternity clothes I’m still wearing, as I just can’t afford new clothes.”

She said her last quarterly gas bill topped £150, while the electricity charge came in at £60 for three months.

She added: “I’m on maternity leave and currently earning £123 a week, which isn’t a lot.”

In Oxford, 162 people came to the CAB about paying their heating bills last year, compared with 96 in 2008.

Meanwhile, 56,777 people across the UK needed help in 2008, rising to 80,522 last year – a 42 per cent increase.

Barbara Shaw, manager of Witney CAB, said: “We try to keep abreast with demand, but there are always more people out there that need us than we can cope with.

“We’re giving everybody some kind of service, even if it is signposting them on to another organisation.

“What we’re not doing is giving everybody full, in-depth advice.

"We have a certain capacity and there comes a point where we can’t deal with any more people.”

Mrs Shaw said the majority of people struggling were aged between 35 and 49.

However, Rob Curtis, 72, of Square Firs, Combe, pointed out pensioners were also struggling to pay their bills.

He said: “Paying my fuel bills is definitely a problem, because I’m only on a state pension. I do have to do without to heat my house.”

The wholesale price of gas recently fell to about 35p per therm, compared with £1 in mid-2008. energy suppliers have been criticised for not passing on the cut in costs.

Last month, we revealed half of the county’s pensioners entitled to extra money to help pay winter heating bills were missing out.

Those receiving several benefits are entitled to an extra £25 cold weather payment when temperatures fall to freezing or below for a seven-day period.

But of about 18,000 pensioners in the county, 8,980 do not claim pension credit – meaning they miss out on the cold weather payments.

  • Tips from the CAB on keeping control of your fuel costs include:

  • 1. Shop around for a fuel supplier. Many offer different tariffs – ensure VAT is included in quotations.

2. Speak to your existing supplier and check that you are on the best tariff available. Some offer a ‘social tariff’ for low-income and vulnerable customers.

3. Take advantage of energy efficiency schemes and grants, such as the Warm Front Scheme, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.

4. You may also be entitled to existing or additional benefits which would improve your income.

5. For more information, visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau or see the CAB website.