Cost of living: North Pennines residents face rising fuel costs

With no mains gas, people in rural areas have to rely on wood, coal and oil to heat their homes

People living in rural areas of Cumbria have said they are worried by escalating fuel costs.

More than two thirds of homes in the Eden District are not on mains gas - the highest proportion in England.

Residents instead have to rely on oil, wood and coal to stay warm, but prices are rising, and oil and solid fuel costs are not capped in the way gas is.

Alice Bondi, who lives on Alston Moor, said she may have to use her savings to pay for fuel.

Alice Bondi told the BBC she will try to reserve her oil stocks and burn wood to heat her home instead

"It is a real worry and what it may mean is that I have to take money out of my savings. I'm very lucky compared to many people and I have got savings and I will be ok, but there are so many people who won't be," she said.

Rather than using stored oil to power her central heating, she was aiming to keep warm by burning wood in her stove, keeping at least part of her home warm. She said that way her oil supplies will last longer.

"If I don't turn the central heating on, it should last until January or February," she said.

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In Menthid, Brian Marshall said he was looking at fuel costs of more than double what he was paying last year.

He has lived in his converted 19th Century chapel home in Nenthead for the past 22 years but said this year he was concerned about costs.

With his stove as his only method of heating, he said he would soon be using about four bags of coal a week, at an estimated cost of about £100.

"There has been a 55% increase in the price of solid fuel, probably a 10% to 20% rise for wood," he said.

Brian Marshall is worried about the escalating costs of solid fuel

Charities in the area said they were ready to help, but demand was likely to be high with rates of fuel poverty on the increase.

The Fairhill Estates Charity helps residents from Alston Moor who are experiencing financial hardship with winter fuel bills.

Elaine Grew from the charity said: "This year we are expecting a lot of people applying once the winter sets in, so what we want to see is people being looked after as last time we did see a couple of elderly people who ended up in hospital."