A NHS worker who may die if her home falls below 20 degrees fears she may may not be able to survive this winter due to energy price hikes.
Nyree Clark, 40, from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, suffers from a condition called idiopathic cold urticaria - which means that when her skin gets too cold it leaves her with painful rashes and breathing problems.
The hard-working mum has now revealed because of her state, she has stockpiled four tonnes of burnable wood to heat up her two-bed terraced home in order to survive the energy price hikes.
Nyree says she has learned from her past mistakes after the energy price surge last winter. Prices went up by 54 per cent then, and Nyree was forced to drop her heating to a 'dangerous' level to afford the repayments.
Therefore, in preparation for this winter - where bills are set to climb to £4,200 on average - Nyree admits she has been hoarding tonnes of wood in her garden shed.
Speaking about how the price hikes will affect her, the NHS work health adviser said: “I refuse to pay more than what I’m paying at the moment, which is £140 a month.
“So we’ve been stockpiling cut-up wood to go in our very old fire, and we’re going to have to keep it running over the winter.
“We’ve ordered six tonnes, and so far we have got four tonnes. We’ve stored it in our shed, and we’ve been ordering a tonne per month.
“It costs about £60 per tonne, and we think we’ll use less than half a tonne per month, so it’s cheaper than gas.
“It’s just to heat the house in the winter, and we’ll be turning everything else off.”
The mum from Derbyshire has revealed she is now terrified about what might happen to her if she has a severe reaction to the cold.
Speaking from past experience, her family once had to make frantic calls to paramedics after her airways closed up and she went into a possibly fatal anaphylactic shock.
She said: “Obviously I’m terrified that it will happen. When it does, my airwaves close up, and I can’t breath. It’s very similar to a severe peanut allergy.
“You have to call the ambulance if you go anaphylactic. It causes a strain on the NHS – and I don’t want to do that."
While Nyree isn't the only Brit worried about her growing bill prices, a spokesperson for Octopus Energy - Nyree's supplier - has reassured that there are schemes in place to help families this winter.
The spokesperson said: "We speak to over 30,000 customers each day and it's heartbreaking to hear how this fossil fuel crisis is affecting so many people.
"We’re pleased we could offer Ms Clark support from our £15m financial hardship fund ‘Octo Assist’ and our electric blankets scheme.
"100% of Octopus Energy profits are going to support our customers this year but this won’t be enough, so we urge government to intervene and increase bill support this winter."
Is there any Government help available now?
There is a £400 non-repayable discount on almost all energy bills from October.
Additionally, there is also a £650 one-off cost of living payment for eight million house-holds on means tested benefits.
And, pensioners get a one-off £300 cost-of- living payment, while those on certain disability payments get £150.
Who can I speak to for advice?
If you’re struggling to work out what grants or help you could be entitled to, speak to one of the specialist energy charities.
They will also be able to help you if you think you’ve been unfairly treated and want to put in a complaint.
If you're struggling with energy costs or other bills there are plenty of organisations where you can seek advice for free, including
For wider debt help, you can speak to:
- National Debtline - 0808 808 4000
- Step Change - 0800 138 1111
- Citizens Advice - 0808 800 9060
