British Gas customer 'barely survives' after direct debit hike 'out of the blue'
A desperate pensioner says she is "left with nothing" after paying her bills due to the cost of living crisis.
Joyce Cooke was charged £214.09 for electricity by British Gas last month and admits she is "just surviving".
The 78-year-old spends much of her day at a friend's home for the company and when back at her one-bedroom flat in Clifton, Nottinghamshire, has her TV and a light on for half an hour before bed.
Despite how frugal she is being, with energy bills continuing to sky rocket her money is being quickly eaten up.
Ms Cooke said she was previously only paying £49 and the increase "came out of the blue".
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She described the situation as "disgusting".
Ms Clifton says her bills increase 'out of the blue' (Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)She told NottinghamshireLive: "There is no reason for it. I live in an one-bedroom flat, and I also have an electric chair. I am on my own. I cannot afford all of that. I have all the bills to pay and I only get just over £200 a week.
"It is just surviving. They left me with nothing in the bank. Since being on my own, I have to pay for everything.
"I am lucky that I have my friend who looks after me."
"I was shocked", she said, referring to the sudden increase. "This puts pressure on me. I am careful with my money - but everything is going on bills. I am scared I will not have enough money."
The pensioner says she's just surviving and is worried about the future (Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)It is understood that Ms Cooke's bills were based on estimated meter readings. However, the pensioner was not made aware that her direct debit had increased.
A British Gas Spokesperson said: “We appreciate Mrs Cooke’s difficult situation and we’ve reached out to her to say sorry and to discuss any help and support available. We’ve also arranged to manually read both meters to ensure her bills are accurate going forward.”
From October last year until the end of March 2023, a total of 1.17 million pounds in energy support has been distributed by Nottingham City Council and its community partner organisations to vulnerable households in the city.
In a statement addressing the issue, a council spokesperson said "elderly residents just about making ends meet are facing real difficulties".
They continued: “We know that many Nottingham households were already struggling before the cost-of-living crisis hit.
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"Elderly residents just about making ends meet are facing real difficulties – but it’s important they are aware they are not alone, there is support available for them.
“There’s a great deal of help and advice on our website, covering issues from budget and debt management, to accessing benefits you’re entitled to and mental health support.
"It also signposts people to the organisations who can provide face-to-face advice and guidance.
"It provides information about places which offer cheap food, including community supermarkets, social eating projects and food banks, as well as about concessionary travel passes.
“We recognise that not everyone has access to the internet – so all Nottingham City Libraries provide free access to computers with an internet connection, and free access to wi-fi from personal devices.”
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