Holly Donovan is scared of charging the battery of her electric wheelchair because of sky high power prices – she can’t afford to leave her home, which she also can’t afford to heat
Sky-high power prices mean disabled Holly Donovan is scared of charging the battery of her electric wheelchair because of the cost.
“The battery needs to be left on charge over night and it’s an expense I simply can’t afford,” says Holly, 40, from Corby, Northants. Without doing so, she has been left more “isolated” at home.
That too brings its own problems as Holly, who has suffered a lifetime of ill health, can barely afford to have the heating on in her flat anymore.
Yet not being able to do so makes the chronic pain she endures far worse. “I am in agony all the time,” says Holly, who survived cancer when she was a child but still lives with the after effects. She described her pain levels as eight out of 10, adding: “It would be down to two or three if I could just afford to have the heating on.
“In an ideal world I would have the heating on 24/7 but I just can’t afford it. The boiler has been switched off all winter. I am already in debt and on a repayment plan with British Gas. I have never been in debt before in my life.
“I can’t believe how much energy is now compared to four or five years ago. The increases have been completely devastating. I honesty don’t know what I am going to do. I guess I will just get into more debt.
“It has had a dramatic impact on my mental health too. I struggle to sleep. I am panicking about the future. When it comes to Ofgem and the politicians, I don’t think they think about people like me, on a fixed income.”
She added: “It has been so cold I have been sleeping with a woolly hat on. During the day, I have worn layer upon layer of clothes, as well as a scarf and gloves.”
It came as households were told they will be hit with another inflation-busting energy price hike from April, while suppliers rake in nearly £1billion in possible profits.
Industry regulator Ofgem confirmed its price cap will jump by a far worse than feared 6.4% in just over a month’s time, adding a further £111 to a typical annual bill, to £1,849. Around 22 million customers will be clobbered as a result, including four million on prepayment meters.
The rise – the third in the past year – will land just as other household bills are set to jump, including water charges and council tax. Ofgem blamed a spike in wholesale energy costs, which suppliers can recoup from customers.
But higher bills mean suppliers will be allowed to make bigger profits, as they are based on a percentage of the overall total bill. Ofgem said firms could potentially make £45 on average from every customer in the next 12 months – equivalent to almost £1billion over the coming year.
Suppliers can also claw back more of their inflation-linked costs from customers.