Its report – Show Some Warmth – finds that four in 10 children in these families say they have trouble sleeping because their bedroom is too cold, while more than half of the parents are suffering from stress, anxiety or depression.
The survey involved 2,500 families, of which 269 had faced energy debts from one of the so-called "big six" energy firms. The children interviewed for the report were aged 10 to 17.
Overall, its findings show that this winter, as many as two million families – with 3.8 million children – are struggling to pay their energy bills.
At some point, 1.3 million of these families (with 2.2 million children) have fallen behind on their bills. And currently in debt are 470,000 families, with an estimated 800,000 children. Children in these families are "significantly more likely to become ill in winter" because of their living conditions, the report states.
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