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How to Cope with Cost of Living Crisis Reading Answers

Bhaskar Das

Jul 15, 2025

How to Cope with Cost of Living Crisis Reading Answers contain 13 questions and belong to the assessment system of the IELTS General Reading test. How to Cope with Cost of Living Crisis Reading Answers must be answered within 20 minutes. In this IELTS reading section, question types include: Do the following statements agree with the information, and write a correct letter. Also, How to Cope with Cost of Living Crisis Reading Answers offers a comprehensive overview of expert-backed tips on saving money on groceries, energy, fuel, and transport. To practice similar reading tests, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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Topic:

With inflation so high, here's some expert advice on how you can keep the everyday bills down.

It's official, we are in a recession. Inflation reached a 40-year high this year and typical household energy bills are expected to rise from £2,500 this winter to £3,000 next winter. The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts rising prices will erode real wages and reduce living standards by 7% in total over the two financial years to 2023-24. It all makes for grim reading. So, with the cost-of-living crisis set to get harsher over the coming months, we've asked a range of experts for practical advice that can make a real difference. Alice Haine, Personal Finance Analyst at Bestinvest, said: 'High inflation is a nightmare for household finances, as it erodes spending power, gnaws away at savings and makes it very hard for people to maintain their living standards because their incomes simply don't stretch as far.

No one could blame us for feeling stressed and anxious.

Why is the cost of living rising? The cost of energy (oil and gas) is a key reason. Sarah Coles, a senior personal finance analyst, said:

'Supply problems sent energy prices through the roof at the end of last year, which is why the set maximum price jumped so horribly in April. Since then, due to the international situation, both fuel and energy prices have continued to rise. Not only will this mean higher prices at petrol pumps, but it will also feed through into the cost of everything that's manufactured or transported, so the price of everything on supermarket shelves is rising.'

How to save money on groceries: Make sure you are using every trick in the book says influencer Sandra Church. Own brands (goods produced by supermarkets) rather than the better-known makes which you may be used to, are often just as good but cost a lot less.

Supermarket loyalty cards can offer discounts on a wide range of purchases, and you can earn points for future shopping. Make sure your fridge and cupboards are really well organised to ensure you can see and use what you've got before it goes bad. Cook meals in large batches, freezing extra portions and leftovers. Buying from the discount aisle at the supermarket and popping things in the freezer for another time will also help reduce your spend.

How to save on your energy bill: Richard Cartwright, of The Energy Group, an advisory body, advises us to switch off devices before going to bed. Research shows that 23% of our energy usage comes from 'vampire devices' (gadgets that use up a significant amount of energy while they're on standby). To boost your home's energy efficiency, plug gaps around doors, letter boxes, windows, and floorboards to reduce drafts. It isn't expensive and will make an appreciable difference. Insulting your loft will cost about £500 but could save you a huge £380 every year. Also, approved energy suppliers are paying customers with smart meters up to £100 for not using energy at peak times to help take the strain off the National Grid. Check with the National Grid to see if you're eligible.

How to save money on fuel: Everyone's been talking about the cost of petrol lately, and you may be stressed about how you're going to get to work or drive the children to school without breaking the bank. RAC spokesperson Simon Williams said: 'Recent world events have caused the oil price to rise. In addition, oil production remains out of kilter with demand as the world emerges from the Covid pandemic.

He suggests driving more slowly, reducing your speed from 70mph to 60mph on the motorway could save you up to 25% in fuel. He also suggests lightening the load by not using your boot for storage. If you have bikes, golf clubs or furniture kicking about in the boot, you could be increasing the amount of fuel your car uses. It's also a good idea to track down your cheapest local fuel. Get into the habit of checking the prices on the board at all the petrol stations on your usual routes and make sure you fill up at the cheapest on that day.

How to save money on public transport: If you don't drive, chances are you use some form of public transport. The cost of rail travel across England and Wales also increased by 3.8%, the largest increase in nine years. If you get the train regularly, Simon Brown, of British Rail, advises getting a railcard, which cost £30 and will get you 1/3 off of UK train tickets. Buying rail tickets up to 12 weeks in advance gets you the best prices.

Where to find help: If you're worried that you won't be able to pay your bills or cover the cost of essentials, there are resources available that can help you. Nick Hill, senior advice manager at the Money and Pensions Service, said, "Now is the time to start checking whether you can manage, before you use credit for things like Christmas or everyday bills. If your income still falls short, you're worried about your finances, or credit commitments are becoming overwhelming, seek help from a debt adviser."

Questions 28-33

Match each suggestion with the correct expert. Write the correct letter, A-G.

28-29. Suggests making a financial investment to gain future savings (two experts).

Answer: D

Supporting statement: “Insulating your loft will cost about £500 but could save you a huge £380 every year.”

Keywords: cost, save, future, insulating

Keyword Location: Paragraph under “How to save on your energy bill,” line 5

Explanation: Richard Cartwright recommends spending money on insulation to save money in the long run—this is a financial investment for future savings.

Answer: F

Supporting statement: “Simon Brown... advises getting a railcard, which cost £30 and will get you 1/3 off UK train tickets.”

Keywords: railcard, cost, savings

Keyword Location: Paragraph under “How to save money on public transport,” line 2

Explanation: Simon Brown recommends buying a railcard, a small investment that saves money long-term on train fares.

30. Suggests shopping around for the best prices.

Answer: E

Supporting statement: “Get into the habit of checking the prices on the board at all the petrol stations on your usual routes…”

Keywords: check prices, cheapest

Keyword Location: Paragraph under “How to save money on fuel,” last lines

Explanation: Simon Williams suggests shopping around for fuel prices to get the best deal.

31-32. Believes the cost-of-living crises has been worsened by international events (two experts).

Answer: A

Supporting statement: “High inflation is a nightmare… it erodes spending power…”

Keywords: inflation, income, spending power

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, lines 6–8

Explanation: Alice Haine points to inflation reducing incomes and living standards due to economic conditions, worsened by international events.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: “Due to the international situation, both fuel and energy prices have continued to rise.”

Keywords: international situation, fuel, energy

Keyword Location: Paragraph under “Why is the cost of living rising?” line 3

Explanation: Sarah Coles directly blames international events for rising fuel and energy costs.

33. Suggests changing your shopping choices.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: “Own brands... are often just as good but cost a lot less.”

Keywords: own brands, cost less

Keyword Location: Paragraph under “How to save money on groceries,” line 2

Explanation: Sandra Church recommends switching from well-known to supermarket brands to reduce costs.

A. Alice Haine

B. Sarah Coles

C. Sandra Church

D. Richard Cartwright

E. Simon Williams

F. Simon Brown

G. Nick Hill

Questions 34-40

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? Write

TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE - if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this

34. Savings are not a guarantee against inflation.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “High inflation... gnaws away at savings…”

Keywords: inflation, savings

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, line 7

Explanation: The text confirms that inflation reduces the value of savings, so they’re not a full safeguard.

35. Consumers make the situation worse through worry.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Supporting statement: No explicit mention of consumers making things worse by worrying.

Keywords: stress, anxiety, worry

Keyword Location: General tone, but no factual statement

Explanation: The article mentions stress but doesn’t say it worsens the economic situation.

36. Own brand products use the same ingredients as better-known brands.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: While own brands are said to be as good, the ingredients are not discussed.

37. Buying more than you need can reduce bills in the longer term.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “Cook meals in large batches, freezing extra portions…”

Keywords: batch cooking, leftovers, reduce spend

Keyword Location: Groceries section

Explanation: Buying in bulk and using leftovers helps lower long-term grocery bills.

38. Almost a quarter of electricity consumption comes from devices not being used.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “23% of our energy usage comes from ‘vampire devices’…”

Keywords: 23%, standby, energy usage

Keyword Location: Energy section

Explanation: Devices on standby use nearly a quarter of total energy—this directly supports the statement.

39. Most petrol consumption is the result of motorway driving.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: No information provided on proportions of fuel consumption by road type.

40. Planning journeys in advance will help save money.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage does not say that planning trips saves money—only route checking and speed.

Check IELTS reading samples:

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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