10th November 2026
Older people across Cumbria are facing another difficult winter as rising energy costs leave many worried about how they will afford to keep their homes warm.
Cumbria Community Foundation has launched its 2026 Winter Warmth Appeal, calling on people across the county to help vulnerable older residents stay warm, safe and well this winter.
The appeal comes as household energy costs rise again. Ofgem increased the energy price cap by 4% from October, taking the annualised bill for a typical household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity from £1,663 to £1,723.
While increased energy costs affect everyone, older people can be particularly vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home. Many are living on low or fixed incomes, while existing health conditions can be made worse by the cold. For those already struggling to make ends meet, winter can bring difficult choices between heating their homes and paying for food and other essentials.
Cold homes can contribute to chest infections and increased blood pressure and, in some cases, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Cumbria also has very high levels of excess winter deaths, with as many as 500 older people dying in a bad winter
Last winter, the Winter Warmth Fund awarded 1,167 grants worth £315,650, supporting 1,474 older people across Cumbria, including one person aged 101. Three quarters of the people supported lived alone, seven in 10 lived in homes that were difficult to heat, and 69% were managing a health condition.
One person who received support described the difference it made: “I cried when I found out I was eligible. It stopped me worrying about how I am going to manage. It’s made such a difference to my life, not worrying as much about how I was going to spin my money out. I still wear lots of layers to keep warm. I still don’t go mad. I don’t have my heating on all the time; I wouldn’t heat every room.”
Another beneficiary, whose health means staying warm is particularly important, said: “You can do without things. You spend what you can. You prioritise what you need to. I don’t go on holiday or anything like that. Heating comes first for me for my health. If I don’t have it on, I can get very poorly and will end up in hospital.”
Donations to the 2026 Winter Warmth Appeal will go twice as far thanks to the generosity of the Foundation’s Match Fund Champions. For every £1 donated between 9 November and 20 December, it will be matched with another £1, up to a total match pot of £200,000 thanks to our
Match Fund Champions: WCF Ltd, John Laing Charitable Trust, Westmorland & Furness Council, SP Electricity North West, Allan Stobarts Lubricants & Fuels, Hadfield Trust, Roseland Trust, Johnson Fund, Sellafield Ltd, Harvey Family Fund, Nuclear Waste Services and private donors.
Karen Hunter, Customer Inclusion Manager at SP Electricity North West, said: “We’re proud to once again support Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal, following the success of last year’s partnership.
“At SP Electricity North West, customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re always seeking out meaningful partnerships that make a real difference in our communities.
“As a funding champion, we hope this inspires both new and returning donors to get involved, knowing their generosity will go twice as far.”
Jim Johnson, of the Johnson Fund, said that energy prices and other essential living costs were causing real concern among older and housebound people, describing Winter Warmth as an appeal “for Cumbrians by Cumbrians”.
Jenny Benson, Director of Programmes & Partnerships at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “Every year we hear from older people who are frightened to put their heating on because they are worried about what the bill will be. For someone living on a low income, particularly with a health condition or in a cold and difficult-to-heat home, that can have serious consequences.
“No older person should have to choose between heating their home and
putting food on the table. Yet we hear from people who are wearing several layers indoors, heating only one room or going to bed simply to keep warm.
“Last winter, the generosity of people across Cumbria helped us support almost 1,500 older people. But the need has not gone away. With energy costs increasing again as we head into the colder months, we are asking people to support the Winter Warmth Appeal if they can.
“And thanks to our generous Match Fund Champions, donations made during the match challenge will be doubled, meaning your support can make twice the difference to an older person in Cumbria this winter.”
Winter Warmth grants provide immediate financial help towards heating costs, but the appeal also connects older people with wider support. Last winter, the Foundation’s delivery partners, Age UK, helped applicants identify more than £663,000 in unclaimed and backdated benefits, alongside providing benefits checks, advice and connections to other services.
One beneficiary summed up the difference the support made: “I don’t have the same anxiety about not being able to pay the bills and I don’t restrict too much how much I put my gas fire on. I have a disability, and I can go cold quickly. 
I used to have lots of old jumpers, and I would put one on top of the other [to keep warm]. On really bad days, I have gone to bed. You have to find ways to get warm or you get ill.”
Since it was launched in 2010, the Winter Warmth Appeal has raised more than £4 million to help older people across Cumbria stay warm, healthy and connected through the winter months.
People can support the 2026 Winter Warmth Appeal in several ways:
· Online: https://cumbriafoundation.enthuse.com/cf/cumbria-winter-warmth-appeal-2026
· By phone: call 01900 825760, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
· By cheque: make cheques payable to Cumbria Community Foundation, write ‘Winter Warmth Fund’ on the back and send to: Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Dovenby, Cockermouth, CA13 0PN.
· People can also support the appeal by fundraising or becoming a Match Fund Champion.
For older people who need help with heating costs, contact Age UK South Cumbria on 01539 728118 (South Lakeland) or 01229 831425 (Barrow), or Age UK North Cumbria on 01228 536673 (Allerdale, Carlisle, Eden and Copeland) or email admin@ageuknorthcumbria.org.uk