MORE than 160 neighbourhoods in Bradford are set to be worst impacted by the energy crisis when the price cap rises in October, new analysis suggests.

The study by climate charity Friends of the Earth claims that 162 out of 310 neighbourhoods in Bradford will be at the greatest risk of financial hardship.

It means 52 per cent of neighbourhoods in the area are among the worst affected across England and Wales.

Nationally, nearly 9,000 areas have been classed as "energy crisis hotspots".

Friends of the Earth analysed smart meters and unmetered fuel consumption to determine areas where energy use is above normal levels.

It says neighbourhoods with above-average costs and lower than average household income are defined as energy crisis hotspots, with Bradford particularly badly hit.

Mushtaq Hussain is the founder of Inspire Futures Foundation, which supports struggling families in the Bradford district.

He said the figures were unfortunate, but added he was not surprised, and that the Government must do more to help.

“The impact of the current crisis is going to be really felt across communities in Bradford more than in others,” he said.

“One reason is because of the high percentage of ethnic minorities here, who may not always have the same knowledge or access to resources that others do.

“People are still feeling the impact of Covid, and I think the figure of 52 per cent is generous – I think, in reality, it may be even higher.

“At Inspire Futures, we have heard some horrendous stories of families being unable to feed themselves or afford heating.

“A lot of families are unable to afford things like school uniforms due to the situation as well.

“The Government needs to step up and work with the community to see the impact that their lack of engagement is having.”

Research by Electric Radiators Direct also suggested that the average Bradford resident is currently spending 10.5 per cent of their salary on energy bills, the highest in the country.

It claimed that Bradfordians have an average take-home pay of £19,071 and an energy bill of £1,996 – spending the most on bills compared to their salary, followed by people in Sunderland, Preston and Leicester.

Mr Hussain added that responsibility to help the most vulnerable has now fallen on the shoulders of grassroots organisations.

“Since April, we’ve donated around £9,000 to families in Bradford, and it’s only out of sheer desperation that they’re coming to us,” he said.

“They’re fearful of not being able to feed their children, that’s why we give them monthly supplies of food, just so they have the bare necessities.

“In Bradford we are resilient. We always support one another, regardless of race or religion, but we shouldn’t be forced to do all the work we do when the Government should be making the relevant interventions."

Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: "The highest priority of all is fixing the UK’s leaky, inefficient housing stock, otherwise cash handouts will be required year on year.

"By rolling out a free programme of street-by-street energy efficiency measures and prioritising the most in-need neighbourhoods, we can help to bring bills down quickly, make homes warmer and slash Earth-warming emissions at the same time."

In Bradford, 29,150 homes require cavity wall insulation and 31,770 need loft insulation.

Nationally, they are among 1.2 million and 1.3 million homes needing these improvements respectively.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "We are investing £6.6 billion in this parliament to improve energy efficiency as part of the Government’s 'Help to Heat' programme, which is helping make households across the country cheaper to heat."

The department added that it is also providing £37 billion worth of support to help households amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Cornwall Insights predicts that after the price cap has risen in October, an average household will pay bills of more than £3,600 per year, significantly more than double the £1,400 figure last October.

From January, this is predicted to further increase to £4,300 and the consultancy group expects bills to remain high throughout 2023.

Energy regulator Ofgem is due to announce the new price cap – which will come into effect at the start of October – on Friday, 26 August.