80 per cent of students are worried about rising energy costs, study finds

And 62 per cent of students say their mental health has suffered as a result


Rising energy costs are a significant concern for university students, with 80 per cent of students worried about the cost of living, a study has shown.

Save The Student conducted a national student accommodation survey, which found that despite the government’s support package to help those with rising energy costs, it has failed to account for many students and their living conditions.

However, students have yet again been forgotten, and the study estimates that current students could end up being £100m worse off compared to those eligible for the full support package.

58 per cent of students have seen their energy bills go up due to the cost of living crisis, and are now expected to cut back on shopping, eating out and socialising.

Consequently, a reported 62 per cent of students say their mental health has suffered as a result of the cost of living increasing.

Jake Butler, a representative from Save the Student, said: “The cost of accommodation is already a huge drain on students’ finances and as we can see from our latest insights, the situation is unfortunately set to get a lot worse.

“I am calling on Rishi Sunak and the Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan, to outline what they plan to offer to, what seems to be, a forgotten sector of our society.”

A Department of Education spokesperson added: “No student should have to worry unduly about their financial situation while they are focusing on their studies.

“We have asked the Office for Students to protect the £256m available to support disadvantaged students and those who need additional help.

“This is in addition to universities’ own hardship funds and the £85 million worth of funding, which was made available to universities to help students in the 2020/21 academic year.”

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