A single mum-of-two said she is “getting by on cups of tea” so her children can eat, and that she cried when she heard news the average energy bill will rise by £111 a year. Ofgem announced yesterday (February 25) its new price cap of 6.4%.
Raegan Furness 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 the 36-year-old said this doesn’t cover food, bills and travel – and choosing between a warm house and being able to eat is already her “daily reality”, which will now get worse. Raegan said she already owes £3,500, 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 relies on food banks to stock up their fridge, but the single mum still struggles to pay her energy bills on time. She added: “The most vulnerable people in society are struggling with this.
“I can’t just go to work and pay my bills off – I have a disabled child. I s*** 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.”
Raegan needs her gas and electricity 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 going without feeding herself in order to keep her children comfortable and safe.
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.”