Around 15,000 Braintree households - including almost all pensioners living alone - will fall into fuel poverty this winter, according to district council data.

The grim statistics have been released following news that energy bills will rise by more than 65% this autumn and possibly again after Christmas when average energy costs are predicted to rise to £4,266.

Tom Walker, who led the Cabinet Office’s Levelling Up Task Force before becoming Essex County Council’s director for the economy, investment and public health earlier in the year, told a scrutiny committee at Braintree District Council that Essex County Council’s own energy data was "eyeball watering".

Figures presented to councillors predict that 23% of Braintree households – around 15,000 – will fall into fuel poverty.

Mr Walker said: “Winter 2022 is really eyeball watering in terms of its onward escalation of price. You look at the mitigations and it’s quite hard to see anything you can optimistic about.

“I don’t want to scaremonger on this but we will all read broadsheet press and listen to intelligent media and then when you see the market intelligence – and to some extent I am a layperson, I’m not an energy buyer – you think ‘wow, this is really serious’.”

He said in Braintree, the elderly are particularly at risk of fuel poverty. This can mainly be seen among those with limited incomes and living alone, but also among those enjoying a fairly comfortable retirement up to now. Urban social renters are also particularly at risk of falling into fuel poverty.

Around 97% of elderly people with limited pension income who live alone may fall into fuel after October’s increase. Around 96% of urban social renters may also fall into fuel poverty.

The authority has said it has there are a number of ways it can help – including through the Essential Living Fund and discretionary housing payments.

Juli Rigby, Braintree District Council’s revenues, benefits and systems manager, said: “What we are seeing is the local housing allowances – which is what we base the housing benefit awards on – haven’t been increased since April 2020 and increases in rent levels that are being charged now are going up almost monthly.

“So we are seeing customers asking for support through discretionary housing support where they have previously been able to find that shortfall.

“Now they are having to spend that on household costs. We are seeing an increase in the discretionary housing payments we are making.”

The council is also looking at a range of responses involving community and voluntary organisations which may involve setting up warm rooms for the winter.