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The U.K. one of the world's richest countries, but people are it increasingly difficult to pay energy bills. Electricity and gas bills could fourfold by the winter. Even people on good salaries are the pinch. Lower-paid workers and those who have may soon faced with a stark choice of heating or eating. Local governments have a makeshift solution. They are communal areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm for free. These are "heat banks". Money-saving expert Martin Lewis said he is dumbfounded by the idea of warm banks in a supposedly wealthy country. The U.K. already has hundreds of food banks for those who to afford to eat.

Britons are already drastic measures to avoid skyrocketing energy costs. One woman has her refrigerator and is perishable goods in cold water. A man has off his electric kettle and is drinking water instead of hot coffee. Last winter, an older lady her free bus pass to sit on a warm bus all day instead of sitting at home in the cold. Many people furious with the government and fossil fuel companies. Giant oil companies are record profits, and the government is reluctant to a one-off "windfall tax". The U.K.'s National Energy Action group said that each year, around 11,400 deaths are by cold weather. They predict this figure will further this year.