Pensioners living in water poverty are cutting back on showers and even flushing the toilet less in order to keep their bills down, research from charity Independent Age shows.

Almost half (46 per cent) of older adults (65+) in England and Wales living on a low income are currently cutting back their spending on their water usage either a “great deal” or a “fair amount”, polling carried out by the charity through YouGov found.

The survey suggested that 46 per cent of older people on a low income had reduced the number of times they flushed the toilet to reduce their bills in the first half of this year, while 41 per cent had cut their washing machine usage and 31 per cent had restricted the amount they showered.

Some 43 per cent of respondents said they were worried about m

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