Desperate mum Helen Croly said the bombshell fuel hikes will make it impossible for her family to function properly through the winter.
She lives in disadvantaged Pollok, Glasgow, sharing a damp and freezing cold three bedroom home with partner Colin and four children. Helen and Colin have around £2,200 coming into the home each month via benefits - but even modest heating would swallow up much of that.
Her gas bill last March was £25 a week but would rocket to around £75 on the new tariff. Likewise, her electricity bill is currently around £40 a week but looks set to shoot up to more than £70.
Monthly bills could top £600 and showers and baths alone could cost the family £1,800 a year.
Helen, 48, said: “We are careful with fuel use but our bills are now so far out of control it’s putting a lot of stress on us.
“We don’t have an average family, we have six people to wash and six people to cook for and we need heating in the home. It’s utterly terrifying to think that it could get even worse.
“The rebates that the government have mentioned so far don’t make a dent on bills like the ones we are facing.”
Helen, who also has two grown up children, said the household has extra strain due to medical issues affecting kids Noah, 14, Skye, 12, CJ, nine, and Max, five.
Skye, 12, was diagnosed with asthma, which is believed to be down to the dampness in the home.
Helen, a volunteer in a local food pantry, said: “I just can’t think how we can cut back on stuff because we are already at the limit.
“The recent fuel bills mean that we only put the heating on when it’s freezing and we have a system where we leave it on until the radiators get fully warm then we turn it off again.
Helen added: “On top of my gas and electric, I’m £300 per week for my shopping, but as well as volunteering in the pantry, I also shop there four times a week as food prices were increasing so much each week.
“I also need to get taxis if I’m going anywhere with my boys as my wee one with autism can’t settle on the bus and my son who has a bowel problem can’t walk too far.”
She added: “I am hoping there will be some proper help from government but it seems there has been no glimmer of good news for a long time.”
