Age UK's charity director has issued an urgent plea to elderly people across Britain to prioritise their health over heating costs as the country faces a severe cold snap.
Caroline Abrahams warned that tens of thousands of pensioners have contacted the charity expressing concerns about affording adequate heating during winter.
Speaking to GB News, Caroline Abraham said: "It's a really serious issue. And particularly today with winter really biting across the country and snow on the ground in some places.
"We're in for a real cold snap for about a week, and we've heard from absolutely tens of thousands of pensioners over the last few months, worrying about this moment, worrying about whether they would be able to afford to run their heating high enough to keep themselves adequately warm.
Caroline Abraham issued a plea to the elderly
GB News
"I worry, of course, is that lots of older people will try and brave it out or try and get through this cold snap without running their heating.
"They'll wear extra jumpers, they'll stay longer in bed, all those kinds of things.
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"But with the air this cold that really isn't good for them at all. Getting very cold is really bad for your health when you get old.
"So our plea really to older people is to think about yourself and your health first, and worry about the bills afterwards because energy companies are there with a legal duty to help you.
"If you're struggling, you may be able to get some help from your local council as well."
The stark warning comes as temperatures are set to plummet to -8C in parts of the country, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing amber alerts across England.
Many pensioners will be frightened to turn on their heating
GETTYAmber alerts have been issued for all of England, remaining in effect until January 8.
Temperatures are expected to fall as low as -8C in rural southern Scotland and northern England, according to the Met Office.
Rural Wales and the south west of England will also face bitter conditions, with temperatures dropping to minus 6C.
The Met Office has issued fresh weather warnings for ice across northern and western Scotland, the north west of England and Northern Ireland, effective from Thursday evening until Friday morning.
Amber weather alerts have been issued for all of England
GB News
London councils have already activated emergency measures for rough sleepers during the freezing conditions.
Extra beds have been made available in the capital, with the emergency accommodation protocol having been active for three nights so far this winter.
The Met Office continues to monitor conditions, with forecaster Tom Morgan noting that the current warnings serve as a "heads-up" for potential impacts.
