A SINGLE mum-of-two already chooses between “heating and eating” – and cried when she heard news the average energy bill will rise by £111 a year.
Ofgem announced today (February 25) its new price cap of 6.4% – the equivalent of an extra £111 a year for the average household.
Raegan Furness, 36, is a full-time carer to daughters Amelia-Star, 12, who has ADHD, and Kacie-Rae, eight, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.
The single mum claims universal credit as well as disability living allowance (DLA) for both children.
But says this doesn’t cover food, bills or travel – and choosing between a warm house and being able to eat is already her “daily reality” – and will now get worse.
Raegan already owes £3,500 to debt collectors, and worries the increase in energy bills will only worsen her situation.
Raegan, who cares for her children full-time, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, said: “I’m having to choose between heating and eating – the government needs to know it’s literally life-or-death.
“I’m a single parent – I don’t know how I’m going to keep getting through this.
“I’ve already had debt collectors for my gas and electric come to my door; I’m already sitting in the cold in order to keep costs down.”
Currently, Raegan has to rely on drinking cups of tea to get her through the day – as she can’t afford to feed herself as well as her children.
The family rely on food banks to stock up their fridge, but the single mum still struggles to pay her energy bills on time.
She owes £3,500 to her energy provider already.
“The most vulnerable people in society are struggling with this,” she added.
“I can’t just go to work and pay my bills off – I have a disabled child.
“I s**t myself every time I see a bills increase in the news – I worry for my children.
“I’m too embarrassed to ask anyone for help – my parents sometimes lend me money, but they’re elderly and struggling with their own energy bills.”
4 ways to keep your energy bills low
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
Raegan needs her gas and electric to keep Kacie-Rae’s equipment working – like her suction machine, which stops her from choking.
She says the new cap is a matter of “life and death” – and is forgoing feeding herself in order to keep her children comfortable and safe.
“I need to be able to charge my daughter’s suction tube,” she said.
“My daughters get as much food as they can have – but I’m getting by on cups of tea.
“I worry I’m going to get into trouble because my kids aren’t warm all the time.”
