The rising cost of energy bills has had a profound effect on families up and down the country and for couples like Gary and Natasha Waterhouse, it really is a matter of life and death. The couple, who've been together for nearly 11 years, need to have the heating on at all times, and the eye-watering price hike has led to severe financial difficulties.
Shortly after their 2017 wedding, Natasha, 50, was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumour, located in such a position that it now affects her body's ability to regulate temperature. Extremes of hot and cold can cause her pain. The family of five also needs electricity to keep Natasha's medical equipment charged.
On top of Natasha's health concerns, husband Gary, also 50, suffers from sleep apnea, a sleep disorder whereby breathing stops and starts repeatedly, with potentially grave consequences. To stay alive, he has to use a CPAP machine at night, a specialist piece of equipment that provides air at a pressure high enough to stop a person's airway from collapsing.
