Families struggling to cope in the cost of living crisis have resorted to turning off their fridge in a bid to save energy, a leading poverty campaign group has revealed.

New research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has found that about two million households have been forced to turn off their fridge or freezer to save money as they continue to struggle with high energy, food and housing costs. And nearly half of those households said that they had to disconnect their appliance for the first time since May, indicating the cost of living crisis was still hurting low-income families, according to the charity.

The Foundation’s latest cost of living crisis tracker survey showed that millions of families were still resorting to “desperate measures” to cope with rising bills and prices. In October, a quarter (2.8 million) of low-income households ran up debt to pay for food, a third sold belongings to raise cash, and one in six had used community warm spaces. Worst hit were those who received Universal Credit, with 84% of recipients going without essentials such as food, heating and clothing in the six months to October 2023.

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“Millions of families unplugging their fridges and freezers is the latest chapter in a long-running story of hardship," said Peter Matejic, chief analyst at the JRF. "People risk becoming sick from eating spoiled food and going without healthy, fresh food. This risks lasting harm to the health of millions.

"The picture isn’t getting better for low income families even as inflation starts to come down. Too many are taking out loans to pay for food, selling their belongings and using warm banks to try and get by.”

The JRF said that although the Government had spent more than £12bn in targeted cost of living support, and inflation has begun to fall, 7.3 million households had gone without food and other essentials in the last six months, suggesting the crisis was far from over.

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson said: “The cost of living payments have provided a significant financial boost to millions of households – just one part of the record £94bn support package we have provided to help with the rising cost of bills. This includes a 10.1% rise to benefits earlier this year, and we’re investing £3.5bn to help thousands into jobs – the best way to secure their financial security in the long term. This includes a 10.1% rise to benefits earlier this year, and a more than £2bn Household Support Fund to help with the cost of household essentials.

“Ultimately, the best way we can help families is to reduce inflation, and we’re sticking to our plan to halve it this year, taking the long-term decisions that will secure the country’s financial future.”