A pensioner revealed her own struggles with energy bills on Friday, predicting that the new energy price cap will leave the elderly feeling they would be “better off dead” come winter.
Sheila Corell, an 80-year-old from Lincolnshire, was interviewed by BBC Radio 4′s Today programme shortly before Ofgem announced the new energy price cap of £3,549 which will come in October.
She explained that she currently receives £184 a week through her pension and is paying £96 a month for energy right now – that’s based on the current energy price cap of £1,971.
She said this was “difficult enough”, but when it rises again, she warned: “That makes it an impossible situation.”
Corell explained she used little heating last winter anyway, and had to use a wood burner to stay warm.
So, at the moment, the pensioner said she is “trying not to think about” what the new increases could mean for her way of life, because she “cannot do anymore” than she already did last year.
She continued: “It was very uncomfortable living without any heating.
“I now have to cut down on what I buy in the way of food, I have to make things last twice as long, and there’s no room for any luxuries whatsoever.”
With the energy bills driving inflation to 10.1% (and set to go even higher), everyday necessities such as food have also soared in price.
“I’m cutting down on everything to using the shower, to using the cooker, to using the vacuum cleaner, to using the washing machine,” Corell continued.
She said she was now washing some things by hand to reduce her electricity use, too.
Corell concluded: “As a pensioner, we’re very limited in what we can do anyway, and we’re just going to discover that, honestly, a lot of people will find they would feel better off dead, to be honest.”
Financial expert Martin Lewis, who expressed his absolute horror about the price cap raise on the same programme, said Corell’s situation was “tragically ordinary and not unusual.”
He continued: “That’s the problem.
“Her words are powerful but resonate in so many homes.
“The new price cap that is coming in on October 1 is 37% of the state pension – the new state pension – and a bigger proportion of the old state pension for people who retired earlier.
“And an even bigger proportion for someone on basic universal credit.”
He said this was a catastrophe, “plain and simple”, and that without further government intervention, “lives will be lost this winter”.
“It’s a horrendous situation, it’s going to get worse in January, when the cap for typical use moves over £4,000.”
In response to the energy price cap increase, a government spokesperson said Downing Street was aware people are “incredibly worried”, but that “direct support will continue to reach people’s pockets in the weeks and months ahead” targeted towards pensioners, low-income households and those will disabilities.