Nearly 100 warm banks have already opened across the North East this winter for people who cannot afford to heat their homes, The Northern Echo can reveal today, as Britain’s cost of living crisis continues to spiral.

The soaring cost of fuel and basic essentials has led to the rise of so-called 'warm banks' – locations such as churches and libraries which people can visit if they are struggling to afford heating.

Already this year, 14 sites have opened in County Durham, 22 in Teesside, four in Darlington, seven in Hambleton, seven in Richmondshire, five in Northumberland and one in Hartlepool.

Dozens more also already operational across the Tyne and Wear region.

The figures come as a leading anti-poverty charity cautions that hundreds of thousands of people on low incomes are at risk during the extreme low temperatures hitting the UK.

Warm Welcome, a campaign group, aid nearly 2,700 warm banks were open across the country at this time, including 92 in the North East – but the figure is expected to increase dramatically in the coming weeks.

They come in various shapes and sizes, and may provide other support – such as food, hot drinks, and internet access.

The charity says that more spaces are opening every day across the country, and that it is working hard to register new organisations that are helping out – meaning that the real figure could be higher.

David Barclay, manager of the Warm Welcome campaign, called it "unacceptable" that people are being forced to decide whether to heat their homes or eat.

But he said that the response from civil society has provided "cause for hope" – with the number of warm spaces rising significantly from just 350 at the start of October.

Mr Barclay added that warm banks could also have a role in the fight against loneliness in the UK, providing vulnerable people with community support.

The figures come as a cold snap continues to grip the UK, with tThe UK Health Security Agency saying those at risk should heat their most-used rooms to at least 18 degrees, wear extra layers, and have plenty of hot food and drinks to keep warm.

But a new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, an anti-poverty charity, estimates that more than 700,000 people on low incomes across the UK cannot afford these necessities.

Rachelle Earwaker, a senior economist at the charity, said that vulnerable people were having to "wager their financial health against their wellbeing" during periods of dangerously cold weather.

She urged the Government to "help everyone who needs it this winter", cautioning that energy bills are still almost double what they were at this point last year – even with the Government's energy price cap.

Mary Kelly Foy, City of Durham MP, said: “It is appalling that in 2022 in a rich country like the UK, that so many people are having to seek warmth and comfort in community spaces because they cannot afford to heat their homes.

“This is a low point, a damning reflection of 12 years of decline and economic mismanagement under the Conservatives. People are witnessing the biggest drop in their living standards since the 1950s simply because from the moment this Government came in to office the Government they have totally failed to grow the pay packets of ordinary working people.

I am grateful to every volunteer and donor who are keeping warm hubs, foodbanks and clothing banks running this winter. But it shouldn't be this way, and I hope by next Christmas we will have a Labour Government so we can tackle the cost of living crisis head on so the people of this country can once again live in dignity and not be fearful of turning on their heating.”

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham added: “It is difficult to comprehend that after 12 years of Tory Government we have 'warm banks' opening across the country, registered community spaces including Norton Methodist Church, ARC Stockton and Stockton Parish Church among others in my constituency, relied on to support the public this winter as some choose between eating and heating their homes.

“It is a sad indictment of this Government's unwillingness to provide adequate help for people during a cost-of-living crisis. At the same time, the Trussell Trust recently reported that more emergency food parcels were given out during the April to September period than ever before, so this winter is expected to be the hardest yet.

Read next:

“I am grateful that communities like mine are stepping up to cover for Tory failings."

A spokesperson for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “We know the pressures people are facing with rising costs, which is why we have continually taken action to help households by phasing in £37 billion worth of support.

“This includes £1,200 to help pay their bills and the two-year Energy Price Guarantee, that will save a typical household £1,000 annually."