IMAGINE being unable to afford to heat the water needed to run a bath or wash your clothes. To have no money left in the meter to allow you to cook a hot meal for dinner or to have to watch your son struggle to do his homework by candlelight. To have to make the choice between bathing the kids or providing them a hot meal.

That's the reality for an increasing number of households up and down the country that are dealing with the daily difficulties of fuel poverty. It could be a short period of illness or the loss of a job that first leads to an added pressure on household finances. Then the balance tips and debt can easily follow.

New research from a Bradford-based debit charity unveiled earlier this week laid bare the impact of fuel poverty on the poorest households. The national survey, carried out by Christians Against Poverty (CAP), asked more than a thousand of their clients what life was like before they received help with their debt problems.

Findings showed that more than half had struggled to either heat their home, cook hot food, wash their clothes, or wash themselves.

One client, a 46-year-old woman from Shipley, sought help from CAP after trying every which way to solve her money problems. On the recommendation of a friend, she contacted the organisation and was relieved to hear they could help straight away.

She described how fuel poverty had affected her family: "All last winter we couldn’t have hot water so I had to boil the kettle for washing up and having a wash. We sometimes had to go to friends' houses to have a bath or a shower, and regularly used candles on an evening as I could not afford to have the lights on. There was no money in the meter, so there was no electricity to put lights on. It also meant I couldn't cook, couldn’t wash, couldn’t clean and couldn’t feed my son. He struggled to do homework by candlelight, so sometimes he couldn’t do his homework."

In addition she had to give up her car and the associated freedom as well as pre-planning meals in order to economise. She even began to sell off jewellery in order to ensure she could buy food.

Sacrifices became inherent, and her social life stopped too - no going out drinking and no smoking.

However, with the support of CAP staff, she has turned her life around.

She said: "I have no worries about bailiffs or debt letters now. I have a budget that I understand and can stick to. I can see a way forwards and I have got help with depression, and now I am hoping to get back to work."

Another client, a 29-year-old woman from Bradford described how she got into difficulties with money. Splitting up with her partner and moving home created additional costs, while a death in the family piled on the pressure.

"I couldn’t afford to heat the house, and had to have pre-payment meters fitted which are more expensive. We would have to put on extra jumpers just to keep warm.

"I also had choices to make like feeding my son rather than having the heating on. So he would get fed, but we would be sitting in a freezing cold house."

Since seeking advice from CAP she is now debt-free but still keeps in contact with her support worker.

"From the beginning, they helped me with food shops, they provided someone to talk to without any judgement. In the beginning, I was really embarrassed about my financial situation but I was not judged."

As Jo Edwards, of Christians Against Poverty, explains: "Fuel poverty can affect anyone. The debt centre I manage covers the whole of Bradford, and I see families, couples and single people who suffer because of fuel poverty. A relationship breakdown, loss of a job, ill health, can all put pressure on finances and mean that an individual cannot afford gas or electricity. Fuel poverty adds to social isolation - if you have no gas or electricity, you can’t cook, you can’t watch TV, you can’t wash yourself or your clothes, you can’t invite friends round, even simple pleasures like reading a book are suddenly not possible if you don’t have lights on. CAP’s service is completely free. We visit the person in their own home and our trained debt counsellors design an individualised budget for everyone we work with, prioritising their essential expenses (which includes fuel costs), but we also deal with their debts too. We negotiate affordable payments with each creditor and we continue supporting the individual until they are debt-free."

Anyone struggling with debt can call CAP on 0800 328 0006 and get support. Based in Shipley, the organisation began in 1996, and has grown into a national charity. It aims to help lift people out of hardship through debt counselling; financial education courses and CAP job clubs. More information is available at www.capuk.org.