RISING utility costs are forcing some pensioners to cancel Meals on Wheels over fears they won’t be able to pay their bills.

Wendy Smith from Rochdale’s Meals on Wheels said some elderly customers have stopped their regular food orders in an effort to keep afloat.

She said: "I’m finding people are cancelling their meals because they can’t afford them. Already they can’t extend to £2.90 a time.

"They’re starting to worry about gas and electricity bills even now when it’s relatively warm. It’s terribly sad, but it’s a sign of the times.

"It’s not as though they are even cooking themselves something instead. They might have a packet or something which is no nutritional value at all."

The service provides around 300 hot meals every day to vulnerable people, including the elderly, sick or infirm.

United Utilities has just announced rises in water bills at around 2.7 per cent above inflation, while Centrica, owner of British Gas, has already announced it is raising gas prices by a record 35 per cent and electricity prices by nine per cent.

Charities are also facing a difficult time struggling with falling donations and rising costs.

Nigel Fowler from Three Owls Bird Sanctuary at Wolstenholme Fold says its future is uncertain with bills having doubled in the last year.

"Donations have dropped, but they always do in a recession," he said. "It’s something we have to budget for.

"Luckily this was obviously coming for a long time so we have budgeted for it, but bills are going through the roof."

Mr Fowler, who says he knows of at least five animal charities forced to close, has seen his electricity bill go up by £1,000 in the last year.

He told the Observer: "At the end of the day we will go on for as long as we can but unless we get support from the general public we won’t be going much longer."

Churches are also bearing the brunt of the financial crisis with concerns being raised about new methods of charging non-domestic customers for surface water drainage.

Previously billed through a fixed charge usually based on rateable value, it will now assessed by the size of a site.

It could see massive prices rises for organisations like churches which will pay the same rate as supermarkets for having a car park.

The Rev James Read, the vicar of Whitworth’s two Anglican churches, is urging people to sign an online petition against the changes.

He said: "Most church water bills will rise by hundreds or even thousands.

"At the end of the day it falls to those who put the money in the church plate and we will try to do what we can."