'Fear of disconnection' sees parents switch to more expensive prepay energy meters

The number of people unable to keep their home warm more than doubled last year to 377,000 people, while 453,918 went without heating, conference heard.

Parents hit by huge energy bills and fearing disconnection have been switching to higher-cost prepayment meters, leaving them unable to afford to pay for "vital parts of childhood" for their children.

A conference hosted by the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Dublin on Wednesday heard of the devastating impact of soaring energy costs on households across the country, with hundreds of thousands forced to go without heating over the last year.