A struggling artist who is unable to heat her home due to the energy price hikes lives in a flat which gets so cold she can see her breath.
With energy prices shooting up, 57-year-old Vicki Alderman made the decision not to use her heating.
The mum-of-one is a full time artist, however she depends on government assistance in the months she is unable to accrue enough money in sales.
She discovered her heating was costing her £1 per hour, so in order to keep warm working from home she calculated it would cost her up to £12 a day.
Instead of paying, Vicki wears her scarf, coat, hat and gloves all day to avoid turning the heating on, because she can't afford to.
Vicki, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, said: "When I found out about costs rising for heating, I knew I couldn't cover the costs.
"I don't have any spare money, so I decided not to put my heating on.
"I have accepted the situation and got on with it - just dressing warmly and trying to focus on the positives."
Her electric is on a meter, so as soon as she can't add money in, she is unable to use it.
Following this month's freezing and snowy conditions this month, her flat temperature fell to almost zero degrees.
However, she discovered when she put her heating on that it was costing £1 per hour to warm up the room.
As she works from home as a encaustic wax portrait artist, she is unable to seek refuge elsewhere in the daytime.
Vicki explained that her meter would already be empty if she did not receive the £66 energy bills voucher issued by the government last month.
Having recently become self-employed, in the months when Vicki is unable to make a sale, the government offer a payment of £700 to cover her expenses.
This ensures she can pay her £475 rent, and leaves her with £225 to spend on bills, food, water, broadband and internet.
She said this can tide her over when use of electric is low - but as soon as she turns the heating on, the price exceeds what she can afford - so Vicki goes without.
She says her moment of "heaven" is when she's heating up dinner in the oven and opens the door for a hot blast when she checks the food.
Her technique to keep food costs minimal is by bulk-buying whenever she has a good month sales-wise, to freeze lots of clearance items with a short shelf life.
But she fears what will happen after January, which marks a year since she became self-employed after previously relying on benefits.
After January, the government 'start up period' payments she currently relies on will stop.
Vicki - who is mum to Kyla Alderman, 26 - said; "I have been starting to accept that I would have to give up my dream of working as an artist and get a full-time job."
But after Vicki posted a video on TikTok - showing her sat in her freezing home and how she could see her breath - her situation has changed.
The video, filmed on 12th December as the UK was hit by arctic winds, unexpectedly blew up - amassing 1.9million views.
Vicki said: "I thought it might get a handful of people saying 'me too' but nothing on this level.
"It was going mad."
As a result of the attention, Vicki said she got over 100 orders on her online art shop - giving her the boost she needed.
In addition, she got 20 commission enquiries from potential future projects.
She said the money this has brought in may be enough to cover her costs for two to three months - giving her a chance to get on her feet and keep the business alive.
Vicki fears what may happen when those funds run out - but hopes the potential commissions in the pipeline may sustain her.
Despite her current freezing cold situation, she said she's determined to "remain positive".
She added: "I never intended the video to come across as pitiful, I was just shocked when I could see my breath, so I filmed it.
"I'm warm within myself in the meantime, and hopefully this acts as a launch pad."
